Stranger Things Have Happened (Not Really)
by thewanderingstory
Summary: For the Team, it's just another boring day at the Cave. At least, until an unknown girl quite literally falls out of the sky. What does she know about them? And why is she here? Not AU. Slight crossover with Teen Titans.
1. An Unforseen Visitor

**Hello! I really should be working on my DW/Avengers story, but I've hit a writers block with that one. Don't worry-it ****_will_**** be finished, but I've made a ton of progress on this one, so I thought I would just start uploading it. I've got about ten chapters already done, so I'll just put a new one up every three days. Enjoy!**

**Quick establishment of timeline: It's been a year since Eve was rescued by the Titans. She's spent that time walking between worlds, so I have a nice little cushion of time to write more stories about her. For the Team, it's been a year and a half since New Year's. I'll follow canon as strictly as possible in this one. That includes pairings.**

* * *

**Mt. Justice**

**June 22****nd**

**13:15 EDT**

It was a fairly normal day at the Cave. Most of the Team was hanging out in the main room. Zatanna was out with Rocket on a shopping trip, and Wally was in Central City, but Kaldur, Conner, M'gann, and Artemis were in the hangar alternating between sparring out of boredom or just talking. Robin was busy in the mission room with the computer, still trying to figure out what had happened during the sixteen hours during Vandal Savage's attack on the Watchtower where eight members of the Justice League had gone missing. Since they had no memories of the incident, it seemed rather important to find out. Unfortunately, it had been eighteen months since the incident had occurred, and they were still no closer to finding out the truth.

The four members of the Team in the hangar were standing around on the platform overlooking the indoor lake, taking a break between matches.

"You know, saying this feels like inviting trouble, but I'm _bored_," Artemis announced. "School's been out for two weeks, the Light's been underground for months, and all the other supervillains are either locked up, playing it safe, or being beaten up by the League. When is something going to happen?"

M'gann looked up and gasped. The black silhouette of a girl had appeared in the air above the lake. As the other members of the Team turned to look, the silhouette solidified into the form of a tall girl in a trenchcoat and fedora, who immediately began to fall from the air, cursing.

"Aah! Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. Whoa!" The strange girl caught herself, hovering in midair. She continued her descent, slower this time, coming to rest on the edge of the platform. As the others stared at her, she turned her head to see them.

"_Warning: Unknown energy impulse detected,"_ the computer announced.

"Oh, hello," the stranger said. "Sorry about that. I've been having trouble teleporting ever since I spent some time traveling with—well. Ahem. Hello. My name is Nightwalker, and I'm looking for Robin. Could you tell me where he is, please?"

"Computer! Lock down Cave!" Aqualad ordered. He summoned his water bearers and Artemis pulled out and drew her bow, aiming an arrow directly at the girl. Conner just charged at her.

"Crap," the girl said. She jumped backwards off the edge of the platform, and flew several yards to drop into the indoor lake. All of them ran over to the edge, trying to see where she had gone. Apart from a ripple on the surface, there was nothing.

"M'gann, find her," Kaldur ordered.

"Right, right." The Martian's eyes glowed green as she used her telepathy to scan the lake. She came up frowning. "It's not working. This girl is—shielded, somehow. I can't sense her or her thoughts."

Conner looked at Artemis. "You had to say something."

"Where's Red Tornado?" she asked.

"Monitor duty on the Watchtower," came a voice. Robin ran into the room and joined them. "What's happening?"

"We have an intruder in the Cave," Kaldur told him. "She appeared out of nowhere, dressed in a trenchcoat and fedora, and flew down to the water and submerged. M'gann is scanning for her now. She went under two minutes ago. No matter how great her lung capacity is, she cannot hold her breath underwater for more than three minutes. Her exit is locked down, so she will have to surface eventually."

_:Don't count on it.:_

The mental voice echoed around their heads.

"It wasn't me!" M'gann cried. "She's hacked our link!"

_:I'm really sorry about this, but I had to say something. Please don't lock me out yet. I can stay underwater for a very long time, so don't bother trying to wait for me, either. I am, however, going to surface of my own free will…now.:_

Behind them, the girl who had announced herself as Nightwalker broke the surface, rising high enough that she would have been at eye level if she hadn't been over thirty feet away.

"I want to apologize for that!" she called. "I'm really sorry, I know it was rude. But it was the only way I could communicate with you—" she paused and ducked as a birdarang and an arrow both came flying at her head. "Robin! I've been looking for you."

"You know her?" Conner asked Robin.

"No! I've never seen her before in my life!"

"Crap," Nightwalker muttered. "Ignore that, please!" she called. "Look—_agh!"_ Another birdarang that the first had been a distraction for curved around and hit her on the head from behind. She dropped like a stone.

"M'gann!" Robin called. She reached out her hand and telekinetically caught the girl as she fell, bringing her over to the platform they stood on and laying her down at their feet.

She was dressed in a dark blue raincoat that looked fairly new, and a black fedora that did _not_. Under that, she had on a pair of black slacks and a black sweater. Her black hair was confined in a ponytail under her hat. Robin pulled out two pairs of handcuffs and cuffed the strange girl's arms and legs together.

"Who is she?" Robin asked, turning her over so her face was visible.

"And more importantly—why was she looking for you?" Kaldur asked him.

* * *

**Mt. Justice**

**June 22****nd**

**13:30 EDT**

_Recognized: Batman; zero-two. Red Tornado; one-six._

"What happened here?" Batman demanded, walking over to the Team, who had gathered in the mission room. The strange girl's coat and hat had been removed, and she was now cuffed to a chair. She was still passed out.

"We're not exactly sure," Robin said.

Aqualad stepped up. "Fifteen minutes ago, Artemis, Superboy, Miss Martian, and I were in the hangar when this girl appeared. She announced herself as Nightwalker and said that she was looking for Robin. After we locked the cave down, she dove off the side of the platform and flew over to the lake, submerging. When Miss Martian scanned for her telepathically, she was unable to find her, but the girl managed to hack into her powers and tell us through a psychic link that she would be surfacing. At this point, Robin had arrived, and the girl recognized him. She claimed that she had been looking for him, and showed no recognition of us. She was flying on the other side of the hangar from us when Robin managed to hit her with a birdarang and knock her out."

"Miss Martian, have you scanned the girl's mind to determine who she is?" Batman asked, turning to her.

"I'm afraid that I can't. This 'Nightwalker' is not just shielded—her mind is completely gone. She has no psychic self that I am able to find. Batman, she should be in not just a coma, but a vegetative state! But ten minutes ago, she was fully functioning. She was flying, in fact."

Robin was next on the list, and as Batman turned to him, he shook his head. "I have no idea who this girl is, or why she was looking for me. I've scanned her prints and her DNA, and there are no matches on any database on the planet so far. So she's not a convicted criminal, or even an arrested one."

"So—a mystery. Take her to one of the interrogation rooms. I want to see her when she wakes up."

The strange girl let out a groan, and Robin looked at her closely. "That shouldn't be too long."

"Superboy and M'gann, move her. Robin, what did you find on her?"

As Superboy picked up the chair, Robin showed Batman what the girl had had on her person. "There was nothing concealed in her hat, and the only thing in the pockets of her coat was this." He passed over the foot-long metal stick he had found. Batman examined the buttons on the side and pressed one, frowning. The stick extended at both ends to become three times as long as the original one. Pressing the second one caused the ends of the bo-staff to crackle with electricity.

"See why I'm worried?" Robin asked. The bo was identical to a prototype currently sitting in the Batcave at the moment. Except this one was not only fully functional, but what seemed like a second generation.

Examining it closely, Batman found an inscription around the circumference of the end. It read, _To N. From R. Siblings in all but blood._ The other end had an inscription as well, this one reading, _See you in your dreams._ Batman showed the inscription with the initials on it to Robin. "I think this might hold our answer."

**Nightwalker**

**In the Void**

Nightwalker blinked as she realized where she was. Since she didn't remember consciously going to the Void, she must have been knocked out. This was only her spiritual manifestation.

_Might as well check in with World 1,_ she thought, drifting towards it. Her psychic connection to Robin came in very handy at times like these. Nightwalker manifested in the main room of Titans Tower in the first world she had been to in this metaverse. The "original" Robin, from her point of view, anyway, was bent over a computer. It looked to be late at night outside.

"Hey, Robin," she said, calmly, walking over to him. "How's it going?"

He turned to look at her. "Night? Where are you now?"

"Different universe in this metaverse, but you exist. Younger version, I think, though not by much. You just knocked me out with one of your gadgets. Not sure which, since you hit me from behind. How long has it been?"

Robin, used to her line of thinking and convoluted explanations, turned back to his console. "The last time you checked in was a bit less than a month ago. It's June now. The others were starting to worry."

"Well, I'm fine, and I'll be back for a visit as soon as I get this place squared away," she said, cheerfully. "Just for the record, I'm calling this one Earth-16. I'll have more information for you the next time I visit." Her spiritual form started to flicker, and she sighed. "Looks like I'm waking up. Any tips for a Bat interrogation?"

"Make eye contact, and lots of it," he said, absent-mindedly. "And don't lie outright. You're a good liar, but he's the best there is at catching them. And he won't appreciate it. And don't let him know you know his name, or he'll never let you go."

"Thanks," she said, as she vanished. Robin just sighed and resumed his hunt through the police reports for any hints that the Hive Academy might be active again.

**So there you go! First chapter. Like I said, the chapters are mostly written out, but if I get a suggestion I like, I'm open to change. Next chapter will be up in three days. Review, please!**

**This is not technically a crossover. There will be mentions of the Titans, and a couple will show up later, but it's mostly Young Justice.**


	2. Odd Questions and Odder Answers

**Earth 16**

**Mt. Justice**

**June 22****nd**

**13:35 EDT**

Robin stood outside of the interrogation room, watching as the unknown girl woke up. Batman was sitting across from her, a stony expression on his face. The staff, in its full-length mode, was sitting in the center of the table.

"Ugghh…" the girl groaned. "Ouch. That _hurt_." She opened her eyes wide when she saw who was sitting across from her. "Ah. Hello, Batman. Gosh. Cliché, much?"

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly.

"Nightwalker. I thought I said this when I first appeared in that big room. That was an accident, by the way. My original plan was just to wait outside."

"That isn't exactly much of a name," he said. "And original plan?"

Suddenly, the girl turned her head, looking directly at the mirror. "Stop that," she said. "I know there's a telepath out there trying to read my mind right now. Not only is that incredibly rude, but it also tickles. If you're the telepath who was looking for me earlier, I apologize again for my own rude behavior in hacking your link."

M'gann, who was standing next to Robin with her eyes glowing green, gasped and stepped back, putting a hand to her head.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked.

M'gann shivered. "I'm fine, she just sent some fear at me to keep me from probing her mind anymore. Really strong fear. She has a phobia—of telepaths? How did that happen?"

"Don't know. But that's one of the things we need to find out." Robin activated his communicator and spoke directly in Batman's ear. "Robin to Batman. M'gann says that the girl has or recently had a phobia of telepaths."

There was no change on Batman's expression as he stared at the girl, who stared right back. He blinked in surprise as a sudden dark film dropped over her eyes. There was a small hiss, and she raised her hands from behind her back. The chain connecting the handcuffs had been neatly severed, and she set her wrists, still in the shackles but no longer chained together, on the table.

"That's much better. Look, I have no intention of escaping. I have no ill-will towards any of you."

"Why are you looking for Robin?"

"Because he's the only one I recognize. Well, sort of. Besides you. But you've never really liked me very much."

"What is this?" Batman asked indicating the pole.

The girl looked at it. "My bo-staff, of course."

"How did you get it?"

"A parting gift from an old friend."

"Who was this old friend?"

The girl smirked at him. "Spoilers."

"Where did your 'friend' get it?"

"I believe he made it. With some help from another friend."

"Was this 'old friend,' by any chance, Robin?" he asked her.

She raised an eyebrow. "You're a sharp one. But…not exactly."

"Not exactly?"

"Well, bring him in here, and I'll explain."

"Why does it have to be him?"

"As I've said, I recognize him. And before I leave, I'd like to make sure he isn't evil."

Batman stood and walked over to the door. "Robin?" he called out as he opened it. Robin came and stood in the doorway.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'd like you to take over this interrogation."

"Me? But—why?"

"She seems to trust you. And she did, after all, invade your base."

"Not on purpose!" the girl called out from behind them.

Batman turned to glare at her, and she shrugged. "What?"

Robin walked in and sat down at the table. Batman left the room. Miss Martian was still standing outside the two-way mirror, watching as Robin started to talk to the girl.

"Miss Martian, please inform Aqualad that we have begun interrogating the girl, and that I expect it to take a while longer."

Miss Martian nodded and left, and Batman returned his attention to the conversation taking place inside the room.

Robin was very confused by this girl. She studied him closely, taking in every detail of his appearance. Given that he was supposed to be the one interrogating her, it made him slightly uncomfortable.

Eventually, she seemed satisfied. "Hello, Dick. Where's my hat?"

"Uh, what?"

"My hat? Black fedora? It was on my head and now it is gone. I like that hat! I'm very attached to it. There's nothing tech-y in it, so can I have it back?"

"How do you know my name?" Robin demanded.

"That is a simple question, but it has a very long, complicated answer. You might want to get comfortable."

He sat in his chair and glared at her. She just shrugged. "Your choice. So, anyway, reality is enormous and weird. It divides itself, in order from smallest to largest, into dimensions, universes, and metaverses. The force that runs around, under, over, and through every dimension is known as the Void."

"What's a metaverse?" Robin asked.

Nightwalker sighed. "Most universes have different dimensions within them. Since these only have a thin layer of the Void between them, they're the easiest to move through. Large events in history that can go one way or the other can cause parallel universes to form if they happen differently. A set of similar parallel universes is called a metaverse. When a universe has become too different, it splits off from the metaverse it's in to maintain the integrity of it and its similar parallels.

"I have the ability to move through the Void, in order to walk between worlds, and to channel it to fly, breathe underwater, and generate items. I can also use it to destroy things sometimes. Like these." She held up the broken handcuffs. "I also have very strong empathic abilities and limited telepathy. If I'm in physical contact or very close proximity to someone, I can activate it. Or like earlier, when your friend was scanning for me, she opened a sort of psychic 'channel' between us. I was able to use that channel, though I didn't really want to."

"But—how did you know my name?"

"I'm originally from an entirely different metaverse. When I was fifteen, there was a—catalyst. I wound up in a different universe in this metaverse, where I met a version of you. We became close friends. I have a psychic bond with you. If I'm going to a universe where a version of you exists, I'm drawn to you because of it. That's why I wound up inside the cave, and why I was looking for you. I'm not your enemy, or the enemy of any other hero. I'm just an explorer."

Robin heard a voice in his ear. "_Batman to Robin. Get out of there now._"

"And, here we go!" The girl sighed. "This isn't going to work out too well. I will see you in the big room where I first appeared in less than half an hour. Good-bye!"

And with that, Nightwalker grabbed her bo and vanished.

Batman thrust the door open. "Where did she go?"

"I don't know. But she said…" Robin jumped out of his chair and ran, not for the hangar, but for the mission room.

* * *

Nightwalker sank into the Void just enough to vanish. After all, she wasn't done here, and leaving for good was not a good idea while they still thought she was an enemy. She 'looked' for the psychic tag she had put on her hat a long time ago, finding it nearby. Nightwalker quickly pushed herself through, finding herself standing in the mission room. The android and the four other teens she had seen were standing around, looking at her stuff.

"Hey!" Nightwalker yelled, startling them. Before they could do anything, she grabbed her coat and hat and took off, flying for the hanger. She put on the coat midair, slipping the shortened staff that Robin had given her back into the special pocket made for it. Once her hat was once more set securely on her head, Nightwalker flew into the large room and hovered at a safe distance above the water. She was fairly certain that the dark-skinned she had seen was Atlantian, like Garth, a good friend of hers. That meant that the water might not necessarily be safe.

The door she had shut behind her burst open and several people raced into the room. Nightwalker took a moment to study them all, an opportunity she hadn't really gotten before.

Batman and Robin were leading the charge. She knew them—mostly. Bruce Wayne had never been her biggest fan, since her appearance usually meant trouble for Robin. That was always coincidence.

Okay, mostly coincidence.

Behind them came a dark-skinned boy with short-cropped blond hair. He was wearing a sleeveless red shirt revealing tattoos of eels covering his arms. If she looked closely, she could see slits on his neck where gills would be. _Definitely Atlantian._

He was followed by another boy, one with short black hair and a strong face. Looking at him sent off little bells of recognition in her head, but it was only after she saw the 'S' symbol on his shirt that it clicked._ Kryptonian._

The alien parade didn't end there. One of the two girls accompanying them had green skin and shoulder-length auburn hair. She wore a blue cloak, a white shirt with red lines running from her shoulder to the opposite hip on both sides, and blue leggings. _A Martian. Crap._ Nightwalker had once had a very bad experience with a Martian telepath.

Fortunately, the other girl seemed to be human. She had long, thick blonde hair restrained in a ponytail and wore a midriff-baring top with a green insignia on it and a green mask. Seemingly in line with the theme of her costume, she carried a bow and a quiver.

They were all glaring at her. The Dynamic Duo had bird- and batarangs poised to throw, the archer girl had an arrow nocked and ready to fire, and the Atlantian boy had summoned glowing blue hammers.

"Enough already," Nightwalker snapped. "I'm coming down. If any of you try to capture me again, I swear you will have nightmares for the rest of your lives." She slowly descended, keeping a watchful eye on all of them before landing on the platform. She stuck her hands in her pockets, making sure to keep one on her bo-staff, just in case. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not an enemy before you'll listen to me?" she demanded.

"We have no proof of that," the Atlantian boy said, darkly.

Nightwalker frantically ran through her mind. _I went everywhere those three years. I had to have come here. Who did I meet?_ It took her about thirty seconds to eliminate most of the universes she had been in, and another fifteen to try and recall who she had met. She finally hit upon someone.

"Look," she said finally. "I'm telling the truth. I really am an interdimensional traveler. I came here once before. There was a girl—Zatanna. She saw me. I don't know if she remembers me or not, but I did meet her, about a year and a half ago. It was in a coffee shop in a little town in Rhode Island called Happy Harbor. We talked about losing our parents."

The heroes all exchanged glances. "Robin, call Zatanna," Aqualad ordered. Robin pulled up a holo-screen on his glove as the pressure on Nightwalker's temples returned, signaling that a telepath was trying to get into her mind again.

That was the last straw. Nightwalker spun around to face the Martian girl.

"_Will you STOP THAT_?" Nightwalker yelled at her. "Seriously! Not only is it incredibly rude, but the last time a telepath got into my mind, I wound up facing months of psychological torture!"

_Crap. Did I really just say that out loud?_

Nightwalker compressed her lips and turned away. She didn't want to see the look on the girl's face.

"I'm sorry," she told the alien girl quietly, still not looking. "I have a…bit of a problem with telepaths."

There was a gentle hand on her shoulder. "No, I'm sorry. You're right. That was rude."

Nightwalker looked up to see the Martian standing next to her.

"Look," she finally said. "If you have to look inside my mind to corroborate my story, I'm okay with that. Just ask me first."

The other girl nodded. "I'm sorry for any intrusion," she said.

I could feel an ominous presence behind me and turned around to see the Dark Knight looming. "May I have a word?" he asked, in a tone that was clearly not a request. Nightwalker followed him over to the side of the platform.

"What, exactly, is your connection to Robin?" he asked.

"After I wound up in this metaverse, another version of Robin was the first person I saw, spoke to, and made skin contact with. It established a psychic link, so I can find him wherever I go. I used that to find my way here so I didn't wind up in Timbuktu or anything."

"And the first Robin you met—he told you his name?"

This subject was clearly bothering the Bat. Nightwalker sighed. "That version of Robin was about a year older than this one, but even so, this was two and a half years ago. Robin had—well—severed ties with that world's version of you." She held up her hands before he could interrogate her. "I still don't know why. He never told me. But he did tell me his ID, once, after he was badly hurt and I had to give him medication." She looked directly into the blank eyes of his cowl. "Mr. Wayne, I promise you that Robin is like a brother to me. I would rather die than hurt him. At least, when he's on the side of the angels."

Batman stared at Nightwalker for a minute and she sighed. "He didn't tell me that. I worked it out on my own a while ago. I could rattle off the secret identities of everyone in the League, but I doubt that it would help you trust me."

There was a _whoosh_ from the other side of the cave, and a computerized voice announced, _Recognized: Zatanna, B-zero-eight; Rocket, B-zero-nine; Kid Flash, B-zero-three._

Nightwalker turned and walked away from Batman.

**Here I am again! I know I said three days, but I got a lot of unexpected love on this story and I was bored. **

**Special thanks to Lucie4512 and Anonymous for reviewing, and to Mysty Star and sass-master-lucifer for favoriting and following, as well as everyone else who followed this story. Thank you all!**

**Reviews are always appreciated. It's that little clicky button down there, for anyone who's confused.**

**Two days until the next update. (Unless I get bored again.)**


	3. Memories

**A new chapter! YAY!**

"Guys, what's going on?" Zatanna called. "Robin called five minutes ago and said that we had an intruder in the Cave." She stopped as Nightwalker walked toward her and frowned, trying to recognize her. "Eve? Is that _you?_"

"Eve?" Batman asked. Nightwalker shrugged.

"My real name is Eve Ambula. Going by 'Nightwalker' all the time gets old."

"Zatanna. Did you or did you not meet this girl in a coffee shop in Happy Harbor eighteen months ago?" Batman asked. He avoided looking at Nightwalker.

_Sigh. Definitely not a member of my fan club. But then again, he never is._

"Yeah. It was right after New Year's. We talked about…my dad."

Nightwalker was relieved that she remembered, but it apparently wasn't enough for Batman. He turned back to her, scowling. "That only proves that you've been here before. It doesn't necessarily prove your intentions."

Nightwalker groaned. This was not going to be pleasant. She turned to the Martian girl. "Um, miss…I still don't know your name."

"You can call me Miss Martian."

Nightwalker blinked. _Cliché. Cliché, cliché, everywhere._ "Okay…Miss Martian, I would be willing to let you into my mind now."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't." Nightwalker held out her hands to the other girl.

M'gann took them, about to establish a telepathic link, when she felt herself being drawn into one. Unlike what usually happened, which is the memories she wanted to see simply sunk into her mind, she found herself standing in the middle of a large room.

It looked like an odd cross between a movie theater and a library. Thick blue curtains were drawn back from a screen at one end as images floated across it. On the wall to the left of the screen, there was a fancy stereo system playing a song she had never heard before. On the wall to the right, shimmering blue-green bars stretched across a cubicle sunk into a wall. From inside it, a pair of yellow eyes glowed at M'gann. At the other end of the room, twin staircases curved around and up to a second level, lined with books and filing cabinets. There was a doorway between the two staircases, leading somewhere she couldn't see.

"So, what do you think?" A voice came from behind M'gann, and she gasped as she saw Nightwalker standing next to a coffee table and several sofas. She had one eyebrow raised.

"This is your mind?" M'gann asked.

"Yes. I have a lot of shields around my mind, some of which would take quite some time to take down, so I thought it would be easier if I just showed you from inside my head."

"It's so organized…"

"I try to keep it that way. It makes things easier. Follow me."

Nightwalker led M'gann along the room. On the way, they passed the recess in the wall, and a growl came out.

"Shush!" Nightwalker ordered. She snapped her fingers, and the glowing green bars thickened.

"Um…what was that?" M'gann asked the other girl.

"Ragebeast. Manifestation of my anger and hate. Don't worry, he's contained. I like to call him Simon."

Nightwalker walked through the doorway between the staircases. M'gann followed her to find that they were in a room lined with doors. Nightwalker opened one and gestured inside. It led to an empty, white walled room. The two girls stood in the middle after Nightwalker shut the door.

"So, how much do you know already?" Nightwalker asked her.

"Batman told us everything you told him and Robin in the interrogation room."

"Then what do you want to know?" she asked.

M'gann considered it. "The first time you met Robin," she said.

"This is going to be slightly disorienting," the other girl warned. "It won't be like usual, when you're an onlooker to the memories. You will be seeing and reliving my memories exactly as I had them. If it gets to be too much, let me know, and I can end it. Ready?"

M'gann nodded, slightly nervous. Nightwalker waved her hand again, and the room dissolved into darkness.

_A bed. A hospital. Bright lights. The always lurking, omnipotent pain. I didn't want to wake up. I was having the dream again, the place of nothingness, the place where I was safe. I had been following—a—a path? I had found a 'thin' area. I had seen a city. For a moment, I thought I was free…_

_But here I was. I didn't open my eyes. I wanted to eavesdrop, which was always useful._

_Mom was crying. That was bad, very bad. Mom never cried. Dad, who was the crier, was silent._

_"You're sure?"_

_"I'm sorry, Mr. Ambula. There's nothing we can do. The tumors have spread too far to be stopped."_

_So I was dying. Big deal. Everyone knew I was dying. Even the doctors and nurses knew that they couldn't stop the cancer, but they never said so around me. They didn't have to. I knew how they felt. I could read the nurse's thoughts whenever she touched me._

_A little shudder ran through my body. What I did…it was wrong. I was wrong. I was a mutant. A filthy, disgusting mutant. It was a good thing I was dying. My family would be safe._

_There was a little shake on my arm. "Eve? Evie? Wake up, honey." Mom. I tried to lock down my ability, but it was too late. Her sadness rushed into me, overwhelming me. Her thoughts confirmed what I already knew. I was dying at last._

_I pretended not to notice. "Mmm? Yeah, Mom, what is it?"_

_"Oh, nothing. Dad just went to get Calder. Can you talk to me for a while?"_

_"Sure."_

_We talked about the past—little memories. Mom never mentioned the future. She hadn't ever since they had to move me into the hospital. We talked about my first steps, growing up, how I drove my teachers crazy with the questions that proved I was smarter than they were. Dad and Calder came back, and I talked to them as well. We spent hours just talking, as the night moved towards the day. _

_Eventually, I was just too tired. My eyes started to slip closed._

_Mom kissed me on the cheek. "I love you, Yvonne. Be strong."_

_For the first time, I activated my gift, and spoke back to her mentally before she drew away. _:I love you so much, Mom. And I'm not afraid to die.:

_ I could feel Mom jerk away, and I waited sadly to feel the horror and revulsion I was sure would come. But instead—_

_Pride. Happiness. And an overwhelming love. Mom laid a hand on my arm again, and I sent that love back to her, as well as my love for her. I fell into sleep as it grew harder and harder to breathe._

_I was walking in the nothingness again, wearing my favorite fedora and raincoat. It was easy to find my way back to the same window as before. I looked out over the city, and tried to push my way through. There was something holding me back. I pushed again, harder and harder, determined to break through._

_There was a snap, and suddenly, I could no longer feel my body breathe. I screamed and fell through the window, falling towards the city._

It's just a dream. Just a dream,_ I chanted. I didn't want to wake up. Something occurred to me—_

If this is a dream, then I can fly.

_I slowed and came to a stop, hovering over the city. It was a rainy night, and I was glad of my coat. Descending slowly, I found myself hovering over a street. I squinted, and saw a young teenage boy wearing a red shirt, black pants, a short black cape, and a mask running through an alleyway. He threw something at another person running ahead of him, but slipped and missed. The man ran around the corner._

_Angry at this, I flew down, right at the man. Since this was my dream, I could change it. I focused on the sack in his hand, and it lifted up over his head. He reached up, trying to grab it, and I hit him from behind. He fell, and in that instant, I got an image of his thoughts. He was just one of many other members of a gang in this place, Steel City, who were robbing several banks tonight. There were others at First Steel City and at East Bank who were getting away. The others had already been caught by the police._

_The man fell to the ground, and I stuck out my hand, willing a rope into existence. Once I had it, I bent over him and started tying him up. There were footsteps behind me._

_"Hey!" someone said. "He was mine!"_

_I turned around. It was the boy I had seen earlier. Up close, I could see that he had a patch over his heart that said "R," and wore a domino mask. The thief's thoughts came to me—this was Robin, the Boy Wonder, a superhero. I extended my empathy to sense what he was feeling._

_Indignance. Anger at me for taking the man he had been chasing. A thirst to prove himself. Anger at himself for missing the catch. Shaking myself back to reality, I picked up the bag and tossed it to him._

_"I'm guessing this is what you were after. I didn't take anything," I told him._

_The boy snatched the bag out of the air. His reflexes were quite good. He checked inside, suspiciously. "Thanks, I guess. But I'm taking him in as well." He pointed at the crook._

_I looked up at the sky. There were other robberies going on right now. I didn't have total confidence in my ability to stop them all myself, but maybe…_

_'That might have to wait," I told him._

_"Why?" he demanded. Gosh, this was one bristly kid._

_"Because there are five other simultaneous robberies happening right now," I told him. "The gang is behind them The police have three of them, but there are two others that are getting away."_

_"And just how do you know this?" he asked. Great. Not just bristly, but suspicious as well._

_"Because," I lied. "I was eavesdropping on a police scanner. That's how I knew where to find this guy. Coming to help?"_

_He looked at me suspiciously. I locked down my empathy, not wanting to influence him one way or the other. _

_"Fine. Where are the others?"_

_I was so relieved when he agreed. "There's one at first Steel City and another at East Bank." I didn't mention that I had just picked the names out of a random guy's head and that I had no idea where they actually were._

_"East Bank's closer, but it's still ten blocks away. It'll take too long!"_

_I eyed him closely. "You're skinny. I'll manage." Before he could ask anything or object, I walked over, grabbed him under the arms, and took off, going straight up into the sky. My hand was against his arm, and a funny shock ran through me. It felt as though something was weaving itself together. Robin gave no sign that he felt this, but then again, he was 500 feet off the ground and squirming._

_And yelling._

_"Aaaaahhhh!" he screamed._

_"Stop thrashing," I ordered him. "I don't do this a lot," (Like, never) "and I really don't want to drop you!"_

_Thankfully, he got the message and stayed still. "Go Left! Left!" he called out. Since I assumed that he knew where we were going, I changed direction. Soon we were over a large building that definitely looked like a bank, and I started going down._

_"Drop me!" Robin shouted. I did as he asked, figuring that he had a plan. He fired off a grappling hook, going after one thief, and I went the other way. This time, I made a low swoop and picked up the man. He was heavier than Robin. As soon as I touched him, I got the information I needed. The police had arrived at First Steel City, and were taking down the other gangs. He had just received this information by radio. I circled back around to the bank and dropped the man in front of a police officer. Robin had already caught the other one, and he was there too. _

_"The police are on-site at First Steel City. Our work here is done."_

_"How do you know that?" the policeman demanded. _

_I gave him a _look,_ and poked the guy I had brought in with a toe. "This one was surprisingly talkative once we got some altitude. Apparently, they've been in radio contact with one another." I turned and stalked away._

_"Hey, wait up!" a voice called. I turned around to see Robin standing there. "Who are you?" he asked._

_I froze for a minute, careful not to let it show. Who was I? I wasn't exactly Eve Ambula anymore. She had just died. _

_I remembered a Latin class where I had learned that my last name meant "walk." Given that I went by "Eve," which I had always preferred to think of as short for "evening," an interesting name idea had occurred._

_"You can call me Nightwalker," I told him. "But since my presence is bothering you do much, you don't have to call me anything."_

_"Look, I'm sorry I was so crabby earlier. And thanks for helping out. If you hadn't, that other guy might have gotten away." He held out his hand in a gesture of friendship. "I'm Robin."_

_I pretended to be shocked, but shook his hand. "I kind of figured that out from the outfit. You're shorter than I expected."_

_"Hey!"_

_"Relax. I'm teasing."_

_"So what are you going to do now?" He actually sounded concerned. That was touching._

_"I don't know," I answered honestly. "My life's been turned upside down recently. Probably just fly" (God, it felt good to say that word) "off somewhere and think." I shrugged._

_"Can I come?" he asked. "I can't fly, but I have a motorcycle. And I'm trying to get away, too."_

_I studied him for a moment. "We do make a good team. But I want to insist on one rule—no asking about the past. If you want to volunteer something, that's fine, but I'm not going to ask you anything. And I won't answer anything you ask me."_

_"Deal," he said, immediately._

The memory ended there. M'gann gasped as she found herself standing in the little white room again.

"Miss Martian? Are you okay?"

M'gann turned to see Eve—it was impossible to think of her as Nightwalker now—standing next to her with a concerned look on her face.

"I'm—I'm fine. I'm glad you warned me—I guess I just didn't consider how disorienting it would be."

"Is there anything else you want to see?" Eve asked.

"Actually, no. I trust you. I don't need to see anything else."

Eve gave her a smile, not a big one, but one full of meaning. "Okay, then." She waved her hand one last time, and the room dissolved.

M'gann let out a little gasp as she woke up back in her body. She felt very stiff, and when she looked around, she saw that the light was dimmer than before.

"You're back!" M'gann looked over to see a relieved Conner keeping watch from a safe distance.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

"Five hours," Batman said, walking over. "Well?"

"She was telling the truth. Nightwalker is absolutely trustworthy."

"I tried to tell you that before," the other girl muttered, collapsing. "I'm just gonna…pass out now. Go ahead and leave me here." Her eyes rolled up into her head, and her breathing became slow and steady.

"Superboy," Batman said. "Take her to the med-bay. I want at least one member of the Team keeping watch on her at all times."

Superboy picked up the prone figure of the girl and walked away. M'gann followed him. As soon as they were out of sight, he turned to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "What happened?"

"Eve let me inside her mind and showed me her memories," M'gann explained. "I think the effort must have exhausted her. Her telepathy is pretty powerful close up, but I got the impression that she doesn't use it much."

"If she hurt you—" Conner began, threateningly.

"No, she didn't. I'm just a little disoriented. Come on, we should get her to the med-bay."

An hour later, M'gann was sitting next to the bed Nightwalker had been put in, reading an Earth book Zatanna had recommended to her. She was halfway through when she suddenly felt a spike in psychic energy coming from the bed. M'gann closed the book and turned to Eve, who had yet to wake up. She frowned as she sensed grief, distress, and panic coming off her. They were very strong, as well.

"Eve?" M'gann asked. "Eve." Not getting a response, she put her hand on the girl's arm.

Bad idea.

M'gann found herself inside the other girl's nightmare.

**Mailbox time!**

** Jujubee11: It's really okay! I know they're fairly similar. It wasn't on purpose—I only realized after the fact of ironing out the character in my head how similar they were. And I'm sorry for any confusion.**

**Guest: Yes, okay, ****_technically_**** this is an alternate universe, because Nightwalker doesn't exist in the actual DC. I put that in the description because I wanted to emphasize that I would be sticking to canon as close as possible. This isn't going to turn into a "What-if there was another sidekick at Cadmus or on the Team when the Invasion happened?" stories (Though there are some good ones out there). This takes place solely in the five-year gap. I've been trying to be as accurate as I can about dates and events to make sure I don't run into anything established. That's how I try to work with all my stories about this character—outside of the fixed timeline. If you have any complaints or notice any errors with it, feel free to let me know.**

**Sass-master-lucifer: Aww, thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying these stories and the epicness of fedoras. TEAM FEDORA FTW! KF will show up next chapter, I promise. And I'm glad you caught the references from the first story. I had a lot of fun with those.**

**Thanks to everyone who followed and favorited since last chapter. Apologies for the slight cliff-hanger. The next chapter should be up in two days.**

**Reviews are always, always welcome. Thank you all!**


	4. Discussions

**Hello! Yes, I said this would happen tomorrow, but I don't know if I'll have the chance, so yeah. Uploading now!**

_An hour later, M'gann was sitting next to the bed Nightwalker had been put in, reading an Earth book Zatanna had recommended to her. She was halfway through when she suddenly felt a spike in psychic energy coming from the bed. M'gann closed the book and turned to Eve, who had yet to wake up. She frowned as she sensed grief, distress, and panic coming off her. They were very strong, as well._

_"Eve?" M'gann asked. "Eve." Not getting a response, she put her hand on the girl's arm._

_Bad idea._

_M'gann found herself inside the other girl's nightmare._

* * *

_My mind. My mind was not my own. There was someone in it, turning over every memory, every thought and emotion. It felt as though someone was driving rusty nails through my temples._

_Blessedly, it suddenly stopped. I was about to weep in relief, when I was hoisted up into the air by an invisible force and strapped into a rack on the wall._

_"They were right, you know," a cool voice came. It was deep, rich, and unspeakably cruel. I didn't open my eyes. I didn't want to see my torturer's face._

_"You are weak, and pathetic. An abomination. You should never have been allowed to live. You are lucky that you died when you did."_

_I started to cry as my empathy kicked in, force-feeding me my own negative emotions over and over again until I was practically choking on them. And still, it did not stop._

_"Why did you tell them, at the end? They will hate your memory forever now. Perhaps they will even bless the day you died, before you could bring shame upon them. You are nothing. Your abilities are a fluke and a curse. You are incapable of accomplishing anything. You are a weak pitiful, stupid little girl."_

_This went on for I don't know how long. There was no way to count how much time passed. It was all a blur of self-hate and pain. Eventually, that cruel, cruel voice stopped._

_Footsteps approached me. They stopped in front of where I hung._

_"Look at me," the voice ordered. I opened my eyes to see my torturer._

_For a moment, I was confused. This was not my torturer. This was Ellen, the girl I loved. Her long, dark brown hair was loose and fell to her hips, and her green eyes were looking directly at mine._

_"Who could ever love _you_?" she asked. "Even your love is an abomination."_

_I started to weep, but I could not close my eyes. As I watched, Ellen's hair shot back into her skull. She grew several more inches. Her skin turned green, and her eyes glowed red. _

_This was my torturer. _

_The evil Martian Manhunter._

M'gann gasped and dropped herself out of the memory as Eve sat up, screaming. She stopped abruptly when she saw M'gann.

"Oh, _shit_. Miss, I am so, so sorry. You shouldn't have seen that."

"That—that was my uncle J'onn. Why was he doing that? What was wrong with him?" M'gann was shaking, close to falling apart.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but it wasn't. It was a doppelganger from a reverse universe where the heroes were evil. He was the reason I was terrified of telepaths."

Conner and Robin came running in. "What happened?" Conner demanded. "What did you do?!" he yelled, turning on Eve.

"I'm really sorry about all of this. I was having a nightmare, and I accidentally drew her into a mental link. I'm afraid that as traumatic as it was for me, it was even worse for her."

"What was it?" Robin asked.

Eve looked away. "Not every universe I've landed in has been…nice. My worst experience came when I landed in a reverse world where the heroes were the villains. Martian Manhunter, or his evil self, rather, got into my mind and tortured me. That's what I was having the nightmare about, and that's what Miss Martian saw."

"Her name is M'gann!" Conner snapped at her.

"Okay, good to know. You know, I don't even know who you are, so cut me some slack, okay? Is she alright?"

"No thanks to you," he growled. Eve started to get up, reaching for M'gann. "Stay away from her!"

She looked him directly in the eyes. He gulped as blue irises met gray ones. They had been a light, cheerful pale grey when he'd seen them earlier. Now, they were as dark and foreboding as thunderclouds. He could swear he saw lightning flash.

"Look," she said, in an utterly calm voice that somehow managed to be as terrifying as Batman's. "I have been dealing with these nightmares myself for three years. I am one of the most powerful empaths on the face of this planet. I have a level of control over my mind, emotions, and dreams that even M'gann hasn't seen before. I can help her. Please, let me."

Conner met her eyes squarely. There wasn't even a trace of a lie in them. He nodded, and relaxed his grip on a shivering M'gann. Eve placed her hand on M'gann's knee and looked her directly in the eye.

_:M'gann,:_ she thought. _:I want to help you. Will you let me in, please?:_

A trembling wall went down as Nightwalker received 'permission' to access M'gann's psyche.

She found herself floating in the pink sky above a countryside. A river snaked past beneath her. M'gann was flying several yards away. An image of the Martian Manhunter was attacking her.

"M'gann!" Nightwalker yelled. M'gann froze, and the image dissipated. Before she could fall, Nightwalker flew over and caught her, lowering her to the ground.

"M'gann, listen to me. You're going into traumatic shock. I can remove the memories of my nightmare, but I _need your permission._ You'll vaguely remember that you saw my nightmare, but not what it was about. Understand?"

M'gann nodded listlessly.

"Do I have your permission to erase the nightmare?"

"Do it…" M'gann whispered.

Nightwalker put a finger to M'gann's temple, and focused. Fortunately, it was easy to find the memory. Not only was it very fresh in her mind, but it was traumatic as well. She absorbed the memory back into herself, shutting it away in a filing cabinet. In its place, she left behind a short blurb explaining what had been there and what she had done. Once the memory was safely out of M'gann's mind, she broke the link and gasped into awareness. Stepping back from M'gann, who was still in the Kryptonian's arms, she collapsed into a chair.

"How is she?" she whispered, when she had worked up the energy to speak.

Robin checked her pulse. "Breathing is steady. Vitals are fine. She should wake up soon."

"Shit." This was an exclamation of relief. "Oh, hell, I am so sorry for all this. I didn't want this to happen."

"Hey, it wasn't your fault," Robin said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, it was. I did my best to fix it, but it doesn't change the fact that it was my damned nightmare, and therefore, my own damned fault." Nightwalker let out a sigh. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit. I'm just making a frigging mess of things here, aren't I? I should leave."

"Why are you here, anyway?" Robin asked. "I mean, you can go anywhere. Why did you come here? What did you want to do?"

Nightwalker eyed him. "You want the truth or a palatable half-lie?"

"Truth."

"My job is to prevent the worlds from crossing over, but I can't do that if I can't tell the difference between _when_ they're crossing over or when things are just weird. So, I'm trying to make an atlas of the various worlds in this metaverse. My M.O. has been to visit a world and hack a news station to find out what was going on. You know, who the heroes are, who the villains are, what the world economy is like, how fast things are deteriorating…oh, and to give out a sort of 'psychic telephone number.' My plan is to eventually get a line of connection set up in every world so that if there's some serious crap going on, the heroes there can 'call' for reinforcements, information, or any other help. Maybe even plan together to take down the serious villains in different dimensions. So far, I've been to fifteen words. Unfortunately, I was intangible in half of them, so I couldn't collect any information. This is the sixteenth world in this metaverse, and the seventh one I've visited since becoming real again."

"What does that even mean?" Robin asked, frustrated. He wanted to trust this girl. He felt like he had to. And that made him suspicious, even when he was already suspicious of a strange girl from nowhere who knew his name.

"I thought it sounded better than dying."

"_Dying?_"

"Long story. In a nutshell, I was dying from cancer. My ability to move between worlds allowed my mind to escape before my body died. I survived intangibly for two and a half years before reconstructing a new body out of Void stuff. By the way, don't hook me up to any med equipment. It'll either go haywire or break. Sometimes both. Learned that the hard way after I woke up in a damned exploding MRI machine."

"Exploding…"

"The Ti—some friends of mine were worried after I was passed out for over two days. Since their resident psychic was having, well, "Daddy issues," they decided to scan me. Bad idea. They almost had to rebuild half the Tower. As it was, the med-bay was destroyed."

Robin stared at her. "You know, I don't understand half the things you say."

"And if you're lucky, you won't have to put up with me long enough to find out. D'you mind if I ask you some questions?"

"What sort of questions?" Superboy asked. He had set M'gann down on the bed Nightwalker had recently been occupying.

"Questions about this world. I want to figure out how long ago it split, and if it's from a world I've visited so far. Questions about the Justice League, mostly."

"About secret IDs?" Robin demanded.

Nightwalker snorted. "Hardly. I know them all. Or I probably do. Want me to rattle them off, or will you take my word for it?"

"What?" Conner asked.

"Superman is Clark Kent. Wonder Woman is Diana Prince. The Flash is Barry Allen. Batman—mmmph!" Robin cut her off by sticking a hand over her mouth.

"Okay, we believe you. What did you want to ask?"

Nightwalker put a finger on her watch, and then tapped it in a strange rhythm. A holo-screen similar to the one on Robin's glove sprung up. She poked around for a moment.

"Okay, when was the League formed, under what circumstances, and who are the current members?"

Robin traded looks with Superboy. The clone shrugged, and gently stroked M'gann's hair.

Robin let out a sigh. "The League was formed nine years ago after Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter had to work together to defeat the Appellaxians, a race of energy beings set on conquering the Earth. Since then, members have been added to the roster, including Red Tornado, Plastic Man, two more Green Lanterns, Captain Marvel, Captain Atom, Doctor Fate, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, the Atom, Blue Beetle, Icon, and Black Lightning."

The girl tapped away at her wrist computer. "Okay. So the metaverses split before the League was formed. Who are Red Tornado and Doctor Fate? And where are we right now?"

**I would have ended it here, but sass-master-lucifer asked for KF, and I hate to disappoint. Plus, Wally's fun.**

**Mt. Justice**

**June 22****nd**

**19:32 EDT**

Wally West, AKA Kid Flash, wandered down the hallway towards the med-bay. He was bored, as well as curious, and had decided to satisfy his curiosity. After he and Rocket had arrived at the Cave, they had been unceremoniously whisked away by Robin after seeing a strange girl dressed like a detective from an old movie standing with Batman and the rest of the Team. Robin had told them that the girl claimed to be a traveler from another dimension who had accidentally teleported into the Cave because she was tracking Robin psychically. That had been weird enough, but weirder still had been the fact that every time he had checked in on them for the past five hours, the strange girl and M'gann had been holding hands and were standing in the same positions. After his fourth time checking in and his second attempt to elicit some response from either of them, Conner had chased him away.

Wally had just checked back in, and the hangar was empty. Since he figured that the other girl had yet to receive a room, she was probably being kept in the med-bay.

He heard laughter as he trailed down the hallway, prompting him to jump into hyper-drive. He stopped at the doorway of the med-bay to see the strange girl easily chatting with Robin, Conner, and M'gann. All four, even Conner, were smiling. Granted, Conner's smile wasn't more than less of a scowl, but it was something.

"Oh, hey!" the strange girl said. "Kid Flash, right? I actually do know you." She stood up and peered at his eyes. "You are Wally West, right?"

"Um, yeah. Will you quit staring at my eyes? You're kind of freaking me out."

"Sorry. I'm just kind of surprised that they're green."

"Why wouldn't they be green? My eyes have always been green."

"Most of the Kid Flashes I've met have had blue eyes."

"Whoa, wait. You've met other me's?"

"I travel between dimensions. Ask Robin for the security footage if you want the scientific explanation, because I'm not giving it again."

Kid Flash looked at his best friend. "Uh, Rob? _What the hell is going on here_?!"

**Mailbox time!**

**Fellblood Morgan: I could rant at you, but that would just be a waste of time and effort. So I'll just say this: My character. My story. You don't like or care? Don't read. **

**eesanchez95: Good to hear from you again! Glad you're enjoying this. I'm having fun with it, too. Hope you like what's coming up.**

**Speaking of which, what's coming up mostly involves fluffy Team stuff. Next update should be up in two days, unless I get bored and decide to post another chapter.**

**If you have any questions, feel free to ask in a review! Thanks!**


	5. Interrogations

**Mt. Justice**

**June 22****nd**

**19:39 EDT**

It took a while before Kid Flash was calmed down and everything had been explained to him. After watching the footage, he and Nightwalker were drawn into an intense discussion about the Void, physics, and many other science-y things that only Robin was sort of able to grasp.

All discussion halted with the arrival of Batman.

"Well," he said, looking at Nightwalker, who seemed immune to the Bat-glare. "We've confirmed your story. We've confirmed that you aren't a threat. The only thing we haven't confirmed is your purpose and objectives here."

Nightwalker sighed and levitated into a cross-legged position. "I have a friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, though I will swear by everything I hold dear that he is not a threat. He and I are both dimension crossers, or to be more specific, the only people who can do it without resorting to magic. Magic has a tendency to…upset things, especially when the balance between worlds is delicate. Anyway, he and I are trying to get a network set up between various worlds. I use the term loosely, as in anything from a dimension to a metaverse. This network would allow for communication between worlds in case of serious emergencies that have decimated, subdued, or otherwise incapacitated that world's group of heroes. That's part of what I came here to do—alert you all to the fact that yes, there are other worlds, and that several of them wish to be friendly with one another. Not to mention gathering information about this world. Nothing volatile or dangerous, just things that everyone here knows. I usually accomplish this by hacking news stations or conducting interviews."

"And the other part?" Batman asked coldly.

"The other part is—oh, shit, this is going to sound so suspicious—but we're looking for people. There haven't been any people capable of moving between worlds without serious magic for over two thousand years. Now there are at least three, and my partner and I are sure that there are more. Part of my job here is to make sure that there aren't any kids or teens accidentally taking a walk through Asgard or somewhere."

"And if you did find someone with these capabilities?"

"Keep an eye on them until they're of age or a catalyst like the one that happened to me occurs. When one of them happens, go and have a serious talk with them to explain exactly what is going on with their lives. Give them some basic grounding in their abilities, and help them work out what they want to do with their lives."

"Have you ever had to implement that strategy?"

"Yes. Once. And because I know you're going to ask, it worked. I approached the subject shortly after she graduated high school. She was rather annoyed about her situation at first, but quickly brought her powers under control. Since she had no wish to remain in her dimension, she is living in another universe right now. She does not actively participate in a superhero lifestyle but is willing to help out in an emergency and monitor access points. That brings me to my third reason for being here. All across the universes, there are points where the space between worlds is thinner than others. Part of my job is to monitor these points, which we call access points, and make sure that they are not misused or disable them if I can. That sometimes entails keeping the governments of various nations in the dark about the fact that other dimensions exist, since governments in general and that of the US in particular are not known for making smart choices when discovering new areas. Does anything I've said so far sound unreasonable or like an evil plot to you?"

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Nightwalker let out a sigh. "I haven't lied to you so far. Why would I start now?"

Batman narrowed his eyes at her. "Miss Martian—"

Nightwalker, who had been leaning back against empty air, sat bolt upright and locked eyes with Batman. "Don't even think about it. That information is not only top secret, but concerns the lives, safety, and happiness of people who value their privacy. I will swear to you on my own life that nothing in my agenda entails harm to this world or the people in it, or those of any other. And I promise you that if you try and make her or her uncle read my mind to find anything else, the first thing that comes up will be your name."

Batman had enough experience to look into her eyes, (which she was sure had gone into their dark-gray thundercloud mode like they did when she was angry) and know that this line of interrogation was _not_ worth pursuing. He gave a faint, almost imperceptible nod, and she relaxed.

"I am telling the truth," she said, calmly. "I have not lied to you since I have arrived. I have no intention of doing so. If I have to withhold information, I will let you know."

When they all stared at her, she sighed. _And I've made a mess of things again. Great. Just when they were finally warming up to me._

Nightwalker held up her hands. "Look, I promise that by this time tomorrow, I will most likely be out of the country, and that by this time in three days, I should be out of your hair for good. Since this is your world, you have the right to monitor my activities, and I will notify you of the locations of the access points as long as you promise not to abuse them. Sound fair?"

"Yes," Batman said. "And since I doubt you have a place to stay tonight, I am offering you one here."

_Translation: I still don't trust you and want you where I can keep an eye on you._

"Thank you," she said, knowing that arguing would just make her look suspicious. Besides, there was no way that she was turning down the offer of a real bed.

Batman turned and stalked out of the room in a swirl of cape. Moments later, there was a faint announcement from the Zeta tubes that let them know he was gone. Nightwalker sighed and collapsed on the air, letting her flight hold her up.

"How much of an idiot am I?" she asked, forgetting for a moment that she was not alone. "Don't answer that."

"Wasn't going to, beautiful."

"Always the flirt, West. Aren't you dating Ji—Artemis?"

"How did you know?"

There was a quiet cackle from the corner.

"Rob!" Wally groaned. He looked at Nightwalker in curiosity. "Who were you going to say?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I doubt Artemis would appreciate your imagination going into overdrive. And I don't particularly want to face an angry sorceress when I get back to the Tower."

"The Tower?" Conner asked.

Nightwalker grinned. "What's the harm? Just promise that you won't go spreading this around and I'll tell you." She considered for a moment. "Actually, since I've caused you all so much trouble, and since I'd like to meet the rest of your group, how about I make you all dinner and tell you over that? Relax, I won't poison you, accidentally or otherwise. And if Kid Moocher here is like the one from the Titans, he sucks at cooking and shamelessly begs food off of anyone and everyone."

Wally's protest was drowned out by Robin and M'gann's laughter. Even Conner was grinning.

"She apparently knows you well, Baywatch." Nightwalker tipped her head over her back so she was looking at an upside-down Artemis and Zatanna.

"Oh, hello, Artemis. These guys were just telling me about you. Hey, Z. How's life? Is Robin treating you well? Tell me if he isn't and I'll slap some sense into him." She heard a choking sound from Robin's general direction and a chuckle from Wally.

"How did—"

"Oh, please, the emotional tension between you two is obvious. Dinner, anyone? Oh, and did what's-his-name stick around? The Atlantian?"

"Aqualad? Yeah, he's in the kitchen." There was a thud as Nightwalker hit the floor. "Are you okay?" Zatanna asked her.

"_Aqualad?_" Even though she knew it wasn't possible, Nightwalker had a flash of one of her best friends, Garth a.k.a. Aqualad dressed in his skintight blue and black scaly outfit, grinning at her.

"Um, yeah. Protégé of Aquaman? Atlantian? Dark skin, red shirt?" Artemis asked. "Any of this ringing a bell?"

"Sorry, just a little…surprised." She jumped to her feet and headed out to the hallway. "So, dinner?"

**AAAAAH!**

**You guys are making me blush! Seriously, the LOVE I have gotten on this story is incredible! I woke up this morning and checked my email to find 7 messages from FF, and half were your lovely reviews! Thank you, one and all! See, when I do get reviews, I am very happy and decide to update early.**

**Mailbox time!**

**Lucie4152: Excellent question! I was hoping someone would ask that. Eve is, in fact, bisexual, but she's in more than a bit of denial. So in her mind, she's a lesbian. This will be important later. You are not misinterpreting. **

**Prettykitty luvs u: I checked out your story. Very cool! I'm glad you're enjoying this one. Thank you!**

**eesanchez95: Thanks! I enjoy writing psychic scenes, though I try to make them make as much sense as possible. Even if some of them are seriously weird…**

**piggythelaw: Agreed. I just enjoy torturing this character. If you want to know more about what happened in that particular dimension, check out my first story, chapters 12 & 13. Basically, it was an encounter with evil Robin, Batman, and Martian Manhunter, but most of the trauma stems from MM basically mind raping her. (That sounds so creepy, but it's about as accurate as I can get.)**

**Sass-master-lucifer: No problem! Can't wait to see your review.**

**The other member of the interdimensional group will show up in a few chapters. She actually is a character in the DC universe, but I've modified her for my own purposes. Anyone care to guess who?**

**No hints. None. Nope.**

**Okay, maybe one:**

**Wheelchair.**

**Next chapter: The Team learns about the Titans!**


	6. Dinner and Debates

**This chapter was ****_supposed_**** to be up last night, but as I'm sure you're aware, there was a crash. In this chapter, there is discussion about the Titans, mostly for my own amusement. I don't think the two groups will ever actually meet in force, but I haven't written the ending yet, sooo…**

**Mt. Justice**

**June 22****nd**

**20:04 EDT**

Eve had ditched the coat and hat on a chair in the kitchen and spent half the time actually preparing dinner and the other half chasing off M'gann, who seemed determined to do something and a little lost when she wasn't the one cooking. Eventually, Eve threatened to have Conner sit on the Martian if she wouldn't quit hovering. Both of them had blushed and M'gann had finally been persuaded to take a seat on the couch. That had been the easy part of the evening.

The hard part? One Kaldur'ahm. The introduction had gone…well…

Nightwalker had walked in, chatting with Zatanna, and stopped dead when she had seen Kaldur standing at the counter. Aside from the gills, the Atlantian looked very much like Eve's adopted older brother, Calder. The one she hadn't seen in three years.

"Ah, hello," he said, when he saw her. He walked over to her, a friendly smile on his face. "I wish to apologize for my earlier behavior. I am sorry for the hostile way we—_I_—reacted towards you." He held out his hand.

"Apology accepted," she told him, shaking it. "I go by Nightwalker, but call me Eve, please."

"Then you can call me Kaldur," he told her.

That was the cue for Eve Ambula, the one who had grown up in a normal home, to rise from the back of Nightwalker's mind and scream for her brother to recognize her.

"Um, how do you spell that?" she asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

"K-A-L-D-U-R," he told her, looking slightly confused.

"Thanks," she said. "Do you eat seafood?"

"I will be happy with whatever you make," he told her. Clamping down on the memories of Calder hanging around when she was cooking, teasing and trying to swipe food, Eve moved over to the fridge and started rummaging through it. Pulling out shrimp, pasta sauce, and spaghetti, she walked over to the stove. Robin was perched on the counter.

"So what were you saying about the Tower?"

Eve grinned as she put the water for spaghetti on. "Okay, in my home world, which I'm just going to call World 1 for now, there isn't really a Justice League. Oh, there are adult superheroes, but they're all single acts. The younger ones, however, are a different story.

"The Titans started out with a group of five teen superheroes living in Jump City, in the first Titan's Tower. Over the past two years, they've expanded. There's a second main group, the Titans East, in Steel City. I have no clue if those cities exist here. They're located in California and North Carolina, respectively. Anyway, aside from those two groups, there are over thirty honorary Titans all over the world, but the home base is the Tower. There's always one extra Titan or another cycling through the Tower on a regular basis, which means there's never a dull moment. It makes sense. In exchange for helping out on patrols, you get food, a safe place to crash, and more company than you can stand for up to a month. Fortunately, no one's tried to take advantage of it yet. Of course, the six AM training sessions aren't exactly everyone's cup of tea."

"So who's the leader? Is it me?" Kid Flash asked.

"Yeah, no. Kid 1 and his partner hang out at the Tower sometimes, but they never stay long."

"Who's his partner?" Artemis asked.

Eve considered this as she gently shooed Miss M. away. "You guys have never run across a lilac sorceress who causes bad luck, have you?"

Everyone looked at Robin, who shook his head. "Doesn't sound familiar."

"That's a relief. Anyway, 'Jinx'—and I'm not kidding, that's actually her name—was a villain before Kid 1 talked her out of the life."

"Sounds familiar," Robin said, grinning at Wally and Artemis. "Oww!" he complained a moment later after receiving a smack on the head from an irritated speedster.

"So who is the leader?" M'gann asked, after Eve chased her out of the kitchen again.

"Lagoon Boy."

"Are you serious?"

"No."

"Will you tell us who the leader actually is?" Kaldur asked her.

Eve looked at him, and there seemed to be a soft expression in her eyes. "I'm not sure you would believe me."

"Hey, the world just got a whole lot bigger and totally more asterous. Lay it on us," Robin said, grinning.

"What do flowers have to do with it?"

"That's just the way Rob talks. Disaster is things going wrong. Take off the 'dis', and you've got 'aster.' So instead of things going wrong—"

"They go right," Eve murmured. "Huh."

"So who's the leader?"

Eve sighed. "Robin."

There was a long moment of silence, and she looked up to see that everyone but Robin was staring at her in shock. Robin was grinning.

"A Robin who is two years older," she cautioned, holding up one finger. "Don't even think about running off to start your own team. Batman would kill me if that happened."

She pulled out a towel and coiled it before snapping it at M'gann. "You stay out. I said I would make dinner, and I am going to. Anyway, back to the Tower. Probably the craziest things that have happened there all occurred within a week of each other."

"Why was that?" Aqualad asked, studying the strange girl.

Eve let out a long-suffering sigh. "I came back from the dead three days before every Titan from all over the world piled into the Tower for a week. That was also the time I accidentally blew up an MRI machine. Long story short, I wanted to take a nice long nap to get away from all the emotional pressure, but I overestimated and wound up in a coma for two days. It was very peaceful, at least until I woke up and almost got burned alive."

No one quite knew how to respond to that. Until Wally just had to ask, "Exploding MRI machine?"

"Medical equipment tends to go haywire if I'm hooked to it. My biochemistry is—weird. Please don't ask."

Fortunately, Artemis elbowed Wally just as he was opening his mouth, and Zatanna cut in with the question, "So, who's the same in both worlds?"

"Well, as far as I know, there's only Robin and Kid Flash. And—" Eve turned to Kaldur. "Do you know anyone named Garth?"

Kaldur was clearly surprised. "He is my best friend in Atlantis."

She nodded as she checked the shrimp and pasta. She had two pots of each going—a huge one for Wally and a slightly smaller one for the Team. "Well, in World 1, Garth is Aqualad. He's a good friend of mine. He never mentioned you before, though I'll be sure to ask the next time I see him."

"How will you do that?" M'gann asked.

Eve just grinned as she took the pasta off the fire. "Spoilers. So, anyway, the conference was pretty crazy. Imagine, if you can stand it, over thirty super-powered teens with no adult supervision whatsoever inside a giant T shaped tower for a week. Not to mention said tower is outfitted with more tech than the Pentagon. I don't even want to _remember_ the prank war Beast Boy started."

"Beast Boy?" several voices chorused.

"_Don't_ ask."

Ten minutes later, they were all sitting down to a meal of shrimp cooked in garlic with spaghetti. For whatever reason, Rocket had gone home earlier, so Eve had yet to meet her.

As they all sat at the table, talking and eating and laughing, Eve let herself withdraw, watching them all. For now, she was happy to be back with a group of friendly people. It reminded her of the Tower, which might as well be her home now.

This was actually a very relaxing environment. All of the kids were comfortable with each other. There didn't seem to be any skeletons in the closet—everyone was open and friendly. They joked and laughed like the old friends they were. She closed her eyes and let the myriad of emotions wash over her.

Every emotion 'felt' differently. Negative emotions were sharp and hard, slicing away at the psyche. Neutral emotions were just that—pliable and smooth. And happy or comfortable emotions had a wide range. Romantic Love, for example, was frothy and bubbly, filling a person up. Familial Love, like most of the people at this table felt like at the moment, was the warm glow of a fireplace, one that started from the inside and pushed out like an expanding bubble. Both felt nice, and both were present in this group. She leaned back and sighed quietly.

There was a gentle touch on her shoulder, and Eve looked up to realize that she had been sitting next to Aqualad. Since she was so relaxed, she didn't feel the urge to bolt.

"You have not touched your dinner," he said quietly. "Are you all right?"

She smiled at him. "I'm fine. Just listening and feeling."

"Feeling?" That question came from Zatanna, on her left.

Eve shrugged. "I'm an empath. I can sense what people are feeling. It's really sensitive, too. For example—" she sat up and pointed at Wally. "You are feeling a tiny bit annoyed at me for appearing out of nowhere and causing a shock to your day, slightly more annoyed at Robin for not telling you earlier, a bit—okay, I'm not going to describe _that,_ but I can tell you already that you're not my type." That caused a small rush of laughter and earned Wally a smack from Artemis. "Now you're feeling rather sheepish, which I suppose is obvious, and guilty because it was a natural thought process, so don't hold a grudge against him too long, Artemis. You're also feeling very benevolent towards the world in general and me in particular because of dinner. Glad you liked it."

"That's pretty cool," Robin said.

Eve shrugged again. "It's mostly an automatic thing, though I try to keep it shielded most of the time. It seems kind of invasive to me. But right now…" she closed her eyes and projected the strongest feelings swirling around the table, which were the two Loves, Happiness, Contentment, a good Satisfaction, and Comfort. She wanted them to understand how nice being here was. When she opened her eyes, they were all blinking, looking pleasantly surprised. "That's mostly what I'm picking up from you."

"Wow," Zatanna breathed. "Being an empath sounds amazing."

Eve exchanged glances with M'gann. "Right now, it is," she said. "But when I'm around pain, or suffering, or negative emotions, it gets much harder to block out. If my shields drop, I'm exposed to a ton of secondhand pain. So being an empath is a blessing, but it becomes a curse just as easily."

"I see," Aqualad said. "You bear a great responsibility. And yet you manage it well."

"My empathy isn't that different from M'gann's telepathy," she said, quickly, trying to distance herself from Kaldur.

"Well, I have to focus to use my telepathy," M'gann said. "It takes some effort to send out thoughts."

"But you receive them automatically, right?" Eve asked her.

"Sort of. I can detect strong emotions and projected thoughts automatically, but I need to activate my ability to read thoughts consciously."

"Oh."

"Hey," a voice called. Wally pointed at her plate from the end of the table. "You gonna eat that?" he asked.

"Wally!" Artemis complained.

Eve grinned, glad to have something to distract herself. "It's okay. I don't mind." She gave the plate a push, sending it spinning down the table towards Wally. It landed right in front of him.

"Thanks!" he said. He chowed down. "Errrate inner, mee."

"He said "great dinner," Robin translated.

"Thanks," she said. A twinkle appeared in her eyes. "And since I cooked, you guys are welcome to the dishes."

A groan went up around the table and Eve chuckled.

"I can do it!" M'gann said. She levitated the plates off the table, including the one Wally was almost done with.

"Hey!" he said, swallowing the tail end of a spaghetti strand.

"Oh, knock it off, Baywatch. You were almost done anyway."

Eve watched as Kaldur and Conner went over to help M'gann wash dishes. Zatanna, Robin, Wally, and Artemis all stood up, looking at her.

"What?" Eve asked.

"What do you want to do?" Robin asked her.

"Me?" she was surprised. "I don't know. Maybe do some research on spots where there have been weird occurrences, try and scout out access points…"

"Wrong answer!" Zatanna said.

"What?"

"Well, since Batman's throwing you out tomorrow, and you're now our new friend…" Wally began.

"And how exactly did this happen?"

"Somewhere between you fixing M'gann's nightmare and making dinner," Robin told her.

"Anyway," Artemis cut in. "The point is, we are going to make sure you have some fun. It's the least we can do."

"Hold up," Eve said, raising her hands. "So I accidentally teleport in here, get knocked out and locked up, break out, uncooperatively undergo a mental memory search, cause your resident psychic to have an anxiety attack—sorry about that again, by the way—get interrogated by Batman, have all of you glare at me for a while, reveal that I know half of you in other dimensions…" they stared at her as she ran on, not sure where she was going with this. "And all I have to do is be totally honest, tell funny stories, cook dinner, and suddenly I'm your new best friend?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Zatanna said with one of her inimitable smiles.

Eve sat there, halfway stunned. "Well, okay then."

"So what do you like to do?" Artemis asked.

"Well, I like music, movies, and reading," Eve said.

"Boring!" Wally said. "What do you like to do that's actually exciting?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I jump between dimensions and meet crazy people like you on a regular basis. I think that's enough excitement for anyone."

Artemis, Zatanna, and Robin all laughed while Wally looked offended. "Oh, come on! Nothing?"

Eve sighed. _Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask…shit._ "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

**More reviews! Thank you all!**

**Prettykitty luvs u: Glad you're enjoying this. Can't wait to see Artemis in your story.**

**Eesanchez95: Hehehehehehe…you'll just have to wait. I refuse to reveal ahead of time. I'm trying to update slowly enough that I can keep ahead of the end of what I have written out already, but quickly enough so that nobody gets impatient. **

**Fellblood Morgan: It's okay. I may have…slightly…overreacted. And I'm trying to find the balance of keeping Eve away from being a Mary Sue, but making sure that she isn't a weak, helpless female character. It's not like she just woke up one day and knew how to do this stuff. She's been learning through trial and (painful) error for four years. Oh, and excellent guesses, but I refuse to reveal whom. She will show up about three chapters from now.**

**So! What will happen next time? Where will they drag Eve? Will any of them survive the night? Tune in next time for…****_dundun_****DUN! (Cue imaginary theme music)…well, you'll just have to find out, won't you? It will be fluffy. **

**Oh, and I'd kinda like to maybe write a one-shot or something involving Nightwalker in other worlds. I've gotten a ton of chapters written out for this story, so it wouldn't delay updates, but it would be fun. If you have any suggestions, leave a review!**


	7. Karaoke

**Happy Harbor**

**June 22****nd**

**8:45 EDT**

"Karaoke?" Eve asked in surprise. After a quick whispered conference with the rest of the Team, she had been ordered to pull on her coat and hat and meet them outside the cave in five minutes. She had complied, reluctantly, and they had dragged her into the nearest town, a little place in Rhode Island called Happy Harbor. After an argument over directions that made no sense to her, they had taken several turns to wind up in front of a little place with a sign reading, MEL'S CLUB. KARAOKE EVERY WEEKEND.

"What do you think?" Wally asked her.

"It's an…interesting idea," she admitted. "Only one problem: I have _no idea_ what kind of songs there are here."

"So, you can watch and we can sing until you do have an idea," Zatanna said.

"You said you liked music, right?" Robin asked.

He, Wally, Zatanna, and M'gann (who had just learned what karaoke was five minutes ago) all gave her puppy dog eyes. Superboy and Artemis just looked slightly bored, and Aqualad seemed to be practicing his most patient face.

Eve sighed. "Okay. At least it'll be a new experience."

Three of the four delighted members of the Team dragged the three less-willing inside. Zatanna waited behind with Eve.

"And tell me again why I'm incapable of walking in myself?" Eve asked.

Zatanna grinned at her. "Because you would just sneak off as soon as we weren't paying attention otherwise."

"Curses. Foiled again," she muttered. Eve had, in fact, been planning on doing that very thing. Zatanna grabbed her arms and led her inside.

It was a fairly large place inside. Several round tables were set out in the front half of the room. A small stage was set up in the back of the room with a microphone on it. There was a teenage girl on it singing some song Eve had never heard before.

Half the tables were full. Eve threw up her strongest shields, not wanting to sense what people were feeling.

"Hey, Conner!" A voice called. Eve, standing with the team, looked over to see a big, brawny, African-America teen sitting at a table. Conner walked over and the rest of the Team herded Eve along.

"Hey, Mal," Conner said. "Karen sounds good."

"Doesn't she, though? Who's your friend?"

"This is Eve. She's Rob's cousin, from—" M'gann, now Megan, looked at her.

"Northern California. The Bay Area." Eve supplied. She held out her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Mal shook her hand. "Likewise."

She refrained from using her telepathy on him, but touched Zatanna on the arm. :_So who is this?:_

_:Mal Duncan. Goes to HHH with Conner, Megan, and me. On the football team. He knows the rest of the Team as civilians.:_

"Mal _Duncan?_" She asked, surprised.

"Uh, yeah. How'd you know?"

"Megan was talking about you earlier. Do you sing?"

"Nah. I prefer the trumpet."

Eve was hard-pressed to hold in her laughter. _Herald is never going to believe this._ "Really? I can manage on strings, but I suck at brass."

"A musician?" he asked her.

"Intermittently. I can sing, which is why they dragged me here, but I don't know any pop or modern rock tunes."

"Don't worry. We can just watch them. Hey Wally!" he called, distracting the redhead, who was already checking out the snack bar. "You gonna do a Beyoncé number again?"

"You know it!" Wally called.

Eve sighed. "Remind me why I agreed to this again?"

"Because you had no choice," Robin told her. "Now sit down and have fun."

An hour later, they were all on their second round of ice cream (except Wally—he was on his fifth) and talking and laughing like old friends. Zatanna finally nagged Eve into going up and looking at the song menu to see if there was one she knew. Eve agreed on the condition that the young magician and Robin sing a duet, which had the Boy Wonder stuttering but Zee (as she had insisted on being called) to get a delighted grin and dragging him onstage. One duet later, Eve was reluctantly looking at the songbook.

_Don't know it…don't know it…don't know—wait._

Two little words on a page. "Defying Gravity." The song that she had first heard the last summer before she got sick. The one she had spent hours listening to on loop in the hospital, because it was one of the few things that could make her forget where and what she was.

If it was the same song…

She walked up to the DJ, who was currently taking a break, and politely asked him, "Excuse me. Could I take a look at the lyrics for song 494, 'Defying Gravity'?"

"Sure," he said, pulling them up on his screen. It only took her an instant of scanning before she concluded that yes, it was the same song.

"Thank you," she said. "Is there anyone going next?"

"Not yet. Do you want to?"

"Yes, please. Under 'Eve'." Eve said, before she could back out.

"Well, okay, then. It'll be about five minutes, alright?"

She smiled at him. "Perfect. Thank you."

Turning around, she walked back to the table. Zatanna looked up from her Oreo sundae.

"Well? Did you do it?"

"Yes. I'm up in ten minutes, now will you quit nagging me?"

"Maybe."

Eve sighed and turned to Artemis. "You should have defended me. She'll be hassling you next." She paused for a moment to count heads. Robin and Wally were stealing each other's ice cream, Artemis was watching them with an amused smile, and Mal and Karen were talking quietly. Kaldur was also quietly watching, leaving only Conner and Megan absent.

She sent out a gentle empathic probe for the two aliens. They weren't in the club, but outside. There was the mental signature…

Eve slammed her shields down again as she picked up the empathic signature. Zatanna and Artemis shot her curious looks as she flinched and blushed.

"I found Conner and M'gann," she muttered. "But please don't ask me how they're doing."

The two girls laughed as she continued to blush. Even though she was an empath, that hardly meant she liked to know about other people's trysts.

Zatanna gave an evil grin. "Well, if they aren't back in time to hear you sing, I'll go find them. I spent all this time getting you to agree, I am _not_ going to waste it."

Eve groaned and hid her face in her fedora. "Why did I agree to leave my nice, safe hospital bed?"

"What?" Karen asked. "Hospital bed?"

Eve shook her head. "Never mind." She laid her head on her arms, trying to ignore what was going on around her. All appetite for the chocolate almond ice cream in front of her had suddenly been lost.

Five minutes later, she looked up to see that Conner and Megan had returned, looking slightly flustered.

"What did we miss?" Megan asked.

"Zatanna forcibly coerced and nagged me into agreeing to sing," Eve grumbled.

"We get to hear you sing? That's so cool!" Megan said, delighted.

There was the sound of a buzzer from the DJ stand. "Well, we're back from our break, and up next we have Eve singing 'Defying Gravity.""

Eve sighed as she stood up. "And that's my cue. See you later…if I survive."

She stood onstage with the microphone in her hands, collecting herself before the music began. She nodded at the DJ when she was ready, and the piano started. Eve took a deep breath and let the words pour out of her.

"_Something has changed within me,_

_Something is not the same._

_I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game._

_Too late for second guessing,_

_Too late to go back to sleep,_

_It's time to trust my instincts_

_Close my eyes and leap_

_It's time to try defying gravity_

_Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity_

_I think I'll try defying gravity_

_And you can't pull me down._

_I'm through accepting limits_

_'Cause someone says they're so_

_Some things I cannot change_

_But 'till I try, I'll never know_

_Too long I've been afraid of_

_Losing love, I guess I've lost_

_Well if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost_

_I'd sooner buy defying gravity_

_Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity_

_I think I'll try defying gravity_

_And you can't bring me down._

_Unlimited_

_Our future is_

_Unlimited_

_And I've just had a vision almost like a prophecy_

_I know, it sounds truly crazy_

_And true, the vision's hazy_

_But I swear, someday I'll be_

_Flying so high_

_Kiss me goodbye_

_So if you care to find me_

_Look to the western sky_

_As someone told me lately_

_Everyone deserves the chance to fly_

_And if I'm flying solo_

_At least I'm flying free_

_To those who'd ground me_

_Take a message back from me_

_Tell them how I am defying gravity_

_I'm flying high, defying gravity_

_And soon I'll match them in renown_

_And nobody in all of Oz_

_No wizard that there is or was_

_Is ever gonna bring me down!"_

She was barely conscious of the end of the song, too wrapped up in the magic of the music and words. She opened her eyes to see her entire table applauding, along with the rest of the customers. They were all grinning, too.

Eve smiled and made a quick little bow before jumping off the stage and heading to the back.

"Girl, that was amazing!" Karen said. "Where'd you learn to sing like that?"

"I was in the choir at my old high school," she explained. "I've always liked music."

"Where are you going now?" Mal asked.

"Well, I'm done with high school. I've just been going here, there, and everywhere. Visiting cousins is always cool, but I'm heading out tomorrow."

"Oh, where are you going?" Zatanna asked her.

Eve shrugged. "I don't know yet. I'll know by tomorrow."

"Well," Kaldur said, looking at his watch. "It is growing late. We should be leaving soon."

"Agreed," Eve said. "I'm exhausted, and I have to make an early start tomorrow."

"Well, it was nice meeting you. Drop by again sometime!" Mal said.

The Team made their way back to the Cave. When they reached it, the seven members split up to go to their rooms, wishing each other good night. Eve made her way to the TV room and stretched out on the couch with her coat over her for a blanket. She was asleep within moments.

**For anyone wondering what the joke is: Mal Duncan=Herald's secret ID.**

**Okay, I know this chapter might be pointless and slightly stupid, but it was fun to write. (Zatanna eating an Oreo sundae is my tiny tribute to Royally Flushed, and amazing story by Satellites on Parade. Go read it. Right now. You won't regret it. It's a crossover of Princess Diaries and YJ.) Next chapter is slightly slow as well, just two people talking, but I swear, after that it picks up. You will also learn our mysterious guest star's identity in the chapter after next.**

**Anyone interested in hearing this song, look up the Idina Menzel version on YouTube. **

**I unfortunately don't have any mail to answer. How sad. Thanks to Prettykitty luvs u for the only review, and to the people who favorited and followed. I've had a thousand views on this story already. Holy crap.**

**Review, please. They make me happy and help me write more!**


	8. A Scintillating Conversation

**Mt. Justice**

**June 23****rd**

**7:45 EDT**

Eve came awake slowly the next morning, not quite sure where she was. There were murmurs and giggles nearby including a "_Shh! Don't wake her._"

So she wasn't in her room in Titan's Tower, she wasn't in a cell, and she was nearby other people. Her half-doze was interrupted with a very loud _crash!_

"Sonofa—" Eve sat straight up, shocked awake by the sudden noise. A blanket that she didn't remember getting fell off her. Blinking and looking around, she saw that she was lying on a couch, and the events of yesterday came back to her.

"Wally!" M'gann complained. "We were _supposed_ to be _quiet._"

"I'm sorry!"

"What's going on?" Eve asked. She could sense furtive behavior and good will from all of them.

"We just wanted to make breakfast. You know, give you a bit of aster before you have to leave," Robin said. "It was supposed to be a surprise, but then Kid Klutz over here dropped a pot."

Eve sighed as she sat in a chair. "I shoulda left last night," she grumbled, running a hand through her tangled hair.

"But then we wouldn't have gotten to say goodbye," M'gann said.

"I know," Eve said quietly. She stood up and left the room. "I'm not leaving yet!" she called. "I just need some space."

Robin, who had been fairly quiet since first talking to Nightwalker yesterday, watched her go. Kaldur nudged him.

"Go talk to her," he said quietly, so only Dick could hear.

"Why?"

"Because you need to and she needs to. She will not make the first move. It must be you."

As much as Dick hated to admit it, Kaldur was right. He wanted to talk to this strange girl, find out how much she knew. He wanted someone who understood. He was so tired of being afraid to tell anyone, apart from Wally, who he was. Batman still wouldn't let him, though Dick thought he might cave in soon…

But this girl knew him. She knew who he was. What else did she know?

Robin got up from the table and walked away down the hall.

* * *

Eve was sitting on the edge of the platform that overlooked the water, lost in contemplation.

So far, she liked this world. She loved the idea of the Team—young superheroes working with their elders, but also trying to make their own way. At least this way there wasn't a major incident and estrangement.

Yes, Eve liked this world. There were people here who cared about each other, and were starting to care about her. But she couldn't stay. She had an actual job, one that she had been doing for about half a year now. Visiting other universes and tagging or closing access points. Besides, this Batman had a grudge against her, and probably wanted her far away from his team and his world as possible.

"Um, hi."

Eve looked up from her musings to see that Dick was standing behind her.

"Is it okay if I sit down?"

"Sure," she said. She quickly scanned his emotional state. Aside from all the other little emotions that everyone was constantly running through, he wanted to talk to her about something. "Do you want to talk?"

"Sort of," he said, sitting next to her.

"And sort of means…?"

He didn't answer, so she thought of a strategy. "Let's trade. A question for a question. I ask you something, you ask me something. If you really don't want to answer, you don't have to, but that means that I get to get out of a question you ask me. Deal?"

Robin shrugged. "Why not? You go first."

"Alright. Is your name Richard John Grayson?"

"Yes. What's your full name?"

She sighed and looked embarrassed. "Yvonne Katrina Ambula. After my two grandmothers. I hate my first name, so I've always gone by Eve. Did you grow up in Haly's circus?"

"Yes. Where did you grow up?"

There was a wry quirk to her lips. "In a city in Northern California on the Bay Area—Oakland. Much like what I told Mal. How old were you when it happened?"

Dick didn't need to ask her what she meant. He trained his eyes on a point on the other side of the room. "Nine." It took him a moment to think of another question. "What was your family like?"

"Well, both my parents were fairly old. My mother was around forty, and my father was around fifty. They cared about my brother, Calder, and me."

"Kaldur?" Robin asked, surprised.

"Different spelling. C-A-L-D-E-R. But the strange thing is—they looked almost exactly alike. Well, minus the gills. Calder was adopted. I never knew if I was, too. Where was your favorite spot that the circus stopped at?"

"There was a little village in the Bavarian mountains on the railroad tracks. The engine was having trouble, so we stayed there overnight and gave a free performance. It was the first time I preformed. I was four. What was your brother like?"

Eve gave a sad smile. "Calder was four years older than me, and warm and kind and funny. He loved to tease me, but was always there when I needed him. And when I was little, I needed him a lot. My empathy developed before my ability to keep my mouth shut did. And mu—people with abilities were hated and feared in my world, especially psychics of any kind. Calder was the first person who knew what I could do, and he helped me out in so many ways. He taught me to keep secrets, helped me work out the basics of shielding, and every day, he let me know how much I mattered, and how wrong the world was. He taught me that there was nothing wrong with me, no matter what anyone else said. Without him, I would probably have gone crazy before I was ten, or been locked up and taken away by the government. Goddess, I miss him so very much. He kept my secret all my life." She stopped for a moment to wipe her stinging eyes. "My turn to ask. What is your worst nightmare?"

Robin hesitated. He didn't want to answer this one. There was a gentle hand on his arm. "Robin, whatever it is, I promise I can help. Dreams are my area of expertise."

Robin started to speak. "When I was twelve, I was on patrol with Batman. Two-Face had escaped from Arkham, so he was being careful with me, but…I was annoyed. I thought he wasn't respecting me, so I ran off. And Two-Face caught me. It wasn't one of his good days. It took Batman two full days to find me. He beat me with a baseball bat, and did other horrible things. I try and keep moving, try and keep away from the memories. But at night—they come back. I see it over and over and over again."`

Eve kept her hand on his arm, tracing the trauma to its source, finding the razor-sharp memory where it was cutting away at his psyche. She let Robin talk. He wasn't even aware that his voice was starting to shake and he was starting to cry. Eve sent gentle, soothing feelings against the memory, wearing it down until it was smooth to the mental "touch," no longer paining Dick's mind. There were painful emotional offshoots—failure, terror, inadequacy, self-hate. Eve carefully severed each one, keeping them from leaking into his mind and causing the nightmares. Dick had stopped speaking a few moments ago, but he was no longer lightly trembling.

"It's—the pain. It's gone. I mean, I remember it, I know it happened, but I can't remember the pain. What—did—did you do that?"

Eve gave a small smile and removed her hand. "I told you I was good with nightmares."

"You stopped it?"

Eve gave him another gentle smile. "That particular set of nightmares won't be coming back."

"Why would you do that?"

Eve studied her hands. "It's a part of who I am. I have these abilities. I can't keep from using them for good any more than you could keep from being Robin. Besides—" she turned her face away. "I have to use this gift in self-defense to put anger and pain and hate into the world. The only way I can atone for that is to use it to take some out." She looked up at him. "A side effect of my gift—everything I do, every single emotion I put into the world, negative or positive, has to go through me. Being a channel for all that agony—it can poison you after a while. I have to meditate on a regular basis to keep from letting it overpower me. Healing others is a healing for myself as well."

Robin looked at her, not saying anything. He felt like she had just handed him a gift.

"Do you know," she said quietly. "I have met you in at least twenty different dimensions, but I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen your eyes."

"What?" he asked.

"In fact, I think it's only been three times. The first time, I had to fight a major battle just to get you to take off your mask so I could tend a nasty scratch you'd gotten on your eyelid. The second time, you were in a civilian identity and you'd dropped your sunglasses. And the third time…" she chuckled. "Well, the third time, a version of you tried to kiss me."

"What?"

"You said that already."

"How did _that_ happen?"

"I honestly do not know. It was a very, very strange universe. On the plus side, it was there that I learned to speak Romani backwards."

"You speak Romani?"

She gave a mysterious smile. "Spoilers."

"Well, thank you," Dick said. He carefully reached up and took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of sparkling, bright blue eyes. "For everything."

Eve looked him directly in the eye and smiled. "Thank _you,_ Dick."

There were footsteps behind them, and Robin quickly put his sunglasses back on. Eve turned to see Zatanna approaching them

"Breakfast is on!" she said, cheerfully.

"Oh, good," Eve said. She stood up and walked over to the doorway. "Oh, and if I ever return and you two still aren't a couple, I'll lock you in a closet together until you are.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," Zatanna remarked, following her out of the room.

Dick, shaking his head, went after them. "Those two are both definitely waaay too chalant about this."

* * *

**Well, there we go. I know, I know, kind of boring. Eve's pulling a psychological trick here to get Robin to open up, so apologies for any extensive nattering. Next chapter, there will be action as things pick up. **

**Oh, and because I need ideas for something: What do you think that Team (as of end of Season 1, plus Garth and Tula) would do for Christmas?**

**Thanks to eesanchez95, prettykitty luvs u, and piggythelaw for reviewing. I'm glad you liked last chapter!**


	9. From Good to Bad to Worse

**Mt. Justice**

**June 22****nd**

**8:30 EDT**

Half an hour later, Eve was standing in the hangar dressed in her trenchcoat and fedora. Her pack was slung over her shoulder in case she would need it on her trip. Half her mind was already planning ahead the expedition into the Void to look for the access points.

"Thank you all for everything," she said, looking at the members of the Team standing before her. "It has been a privilege and a pleasure to meet you."

"We could say the same for you," Kaldur said. "Do you ever plan on returning?"

"Truthfully, I don't know. I'm just focused on the job for now. I'll make one more stop here to drop off a list of access points and let you know if there's anyone with the potential to walk between dimensions that you should keep an eye on, but after that, I'll be moving on. It's what I do."

"Well, it was still great to meet you," M'gann said.

"And if you ever come back, be sure to drop by," Robin said with a grin.

"Just don't drag me to any more karaoke joints," she said with an answering grin. "Oh, I almost forgot!"

Eve held out a hand to M'gann, who took it cautiously. Eve's eyes flashed for a brief moment, and all the members of the Team felt a little shock as some sort of tie was fixed in their heads.

"What was that?" Artemis asked.

"My psychic telephone number. Just use it before you go to sleep and you should be able to reach me. It's an emergency contingency plan in case of an interdimensional crisis here. Standard procedure."

"Well, that's weird," Wally said, sticking a finger in his ear. "Still, I can handle it. Come by and make dinner again sometime! Owwww," that last was a complaint as Artemis elbowed him.

"Ignore Baywatch. It was great to meet you," Artemis said, giving the other girl a friendly handshake.

"Likewise. So long, Zee. Don't blow up the mountain while I'm gone. I need somewhere to sleep if I ever come back."

"Goodbye, Eve. It was good to see you again."

Eve hugged Zatanna. "Keep your spirits up. I promise things get better. And kiss Robin sometime when he's not expecting it and take a picture for me."

Zatanna laughed. "Thanks for the idea."

"Goodbye, all of you. Oh, and give my apologies to Batman for interrupting his day." With that, her form became a black silhouette in the air before vanishing.

* * *

Eve dropped into the Void, relieved at the familiar location. One of her favorite things about the Void was the fact that she didn't have to work to maintain her shields. There was no one else to shield against. She let herself be pulled by the Void, knowing that the current would carry her to the weakest spot, which would most likely be the access point she wanted.

The first one was, unsurprisingly, in New York City. There was always one in NYC. She had discovered that access points were formed by residual Void energy that had collected in one spot, enough to wear a hole in the world. If they had been there too long, then they became 'set' and could not be taken away. But if they were fairly new, the excess energy could be channeled off and back into the Void, effectively closing them off.

This one was new, fortunately, since that meant she could close it. Having an active wormhole in the middle of NYC was just begging for a large, rampaging monster to come out and eat something. Eve dutifully scribbled down the location on a pad she had taken to keeping in her backpack (middle of Central Park, in a clearing thirty yards east of the dam) before popping out and channeling the energy back into the Void. Once that had been accomplished, she jumped back in and let it carry her to the next location.

Thirty-five access points and three hours later, Eve stopped by a little Parisian café to grab some lunch. True, she could create basic foodstuffs to make her own lunch, but she believed in treating herself at least once in every universe, especially when her stop was in Paris. Over a delicious sandwich and c_rème de champignons_,* Eve reviewed her list. Thirty-six access points so far, twenty-three closeable, thirteen too large. The latter variety had taken up a bit more time, since she had to place mental and Voidal tags on them to ensure that she would know if anything came out, as well as anchoring them a safe distance away from the populace. If she worked hard, she could shift the holes too big to close up to a mile away from their original location. She began a second list, one that listed currently active access points, since those were the ones she was fairly certain the League would be more interested in. Eventually, they _would_ shut down, since they couldn't maintain themselves forever, but until then, it was good to know where they were.

After finishing the second list and paying for her lunch, Eve walked a safe distance away from Paris before dropping out of the world again.

It took her another three hours to locate an additional forty-two access points and shut down twenty-five. That left seventeen access points from the afternoon that would be sticking around, plus the thirteen from this morning. All in all, she had shut down forty-eight access points out of seventy-eight. Not bad for a day's work. Eve checked over the list outside the site of the last one  
(Small village in China, on the Yangtze River) and dropped back into the Void.

It was quieter in there, without so much excess energy from the world leaking through. She studied the currents, noting which ones led to points she had already checked. Then she frowned.

There was a—disturbance in the currents around the North Pole. Not one that would be formed by an access point—it existed on a similar level, but it was on a much larger scale. And it had…a strange aura to it. She could sense a presence behind it.

And not a friendly one.

The presence, though, was not in this universe, which only had one dimension. It was from—outside?

Eve snapped to alert and moved through the Void as quickly as she could. True, time didn't exactly pass there, but if a malignant presence was attempting to move something between worlds, it was bad. Very, very, bad.

Priority one right now was to check in with the other dimension crossers. True, there were only two others that she knew of, but still. Oracle or Herald might have noticed something.

Eve found the world she was looking for. It had a powerful psychic signal on it, but one that was only accessible to those authorized. That included herself, Raven, and Herald, but not anyone else. She wanted to be able to find Oracle in a hurry, but that didn't mean endangering her if someone unfriendly was also looking. Eve found the access point connected directly to Oracle's home and stepped through, landing in the living room. It was a nice apartment in the middle of that universe's version of Gotham.

"Barbara?" Eve called. She turned around to find that since the last time she had been here, a mirror had been placed on the access point. She chuckled. "Classic."

"Eve?" a voice asked. Eve turned to see Oracle, also known as Barbara Gordon, wheeling into the room.

Barbara had grown up in a universe that had no Batman. Her father, James Gordon, had been the chief of police, as in many other universes, and he had made enemies. One of those enemies was the reason this Barbara had become a paraplegic at age sixteen.

Barbara's gift for crossing dimensions was passive. She could not actively cross dimensions, but she could see through the Void, and occasionally hack through to other universes. Eve had found her when she had been tracing someone who managed to hack the new Titans communicators. She had been absolutely astonished when she had found that the signal used to hack them had come from outside the dimension, and she and Herald had checked it out. They had found Barbara, a budding computer genius in her last year of high school. True to what she had told Batman, they had approached Barbara after graduation and explained the nature of her abilities. Barbara had been suspicious at first, and reluctant to help them, but after they had offered her a fresh start in another universe, she had been quick to agree. Eve had found her another universe, one almost identical to her old one, but without a version of her. Barbara had taken up residence in an apartment and agreed to monitor several access points in this world and others. Even without her cross-dimensional abilities, Barbara was still a genius hacker.

"Good to see you, Barbara. How have things been?"

Barbara smiled, wheeling herself over to Eve. "Skip the small talk. You promised to visit in a month. If you're here earlier, that means trouble. What's going on?"

Eve quickly laid out the situation, following Oracle (as she liked to be known) into her control center. "I wound up in another universe. It was a typical situation—introduced myself, got permission from the Justice League, and tracked down access points. I found and either closed or tagged seventy-eight, but the last one—was trouble. Someone, someone bad, was trying to force their way through and create their own access point—a big one. I was wondering if you'd noticed anything here or anywhere else."

"Someone trying to create an access point? No…nothing like that. But there might be something in another metaverse. I can't see across those. The only strange thing I've noticed around here is a minor disturbance in the Arctic Circle last week. The government dealt with it. I've been trying to hack their files, but it's going to take—Eve?"

The other girl had stopped dead in her tracks. "The Arctic Circle?"

"Yes. Why? What's so important?"

Eve looked at her. "That's where the disturbance was. One moment." She dropped out of the world. There had been a similar disturbance here. Same energy signature, but not as strong.

_So they didn't get whatever they wanted—which seems to be access to this world._ She took a closer 'look' at the energy. It was vaguely similar to something she had seen in another metaverse—ancient, foreign, and…

_Cold. Very cold…oh, shit. No, no, no, no, no. CRAP!_

Eve slammed back into existence next to Oracle. "Found the disturbance," she said. "It's bad. Like, really, really bad. Can you take a look at the North Pole in as many universes as possible?"

Oracle frowned, but she did as Eve asked. Her eyes went white, and she sat there silently for ten minutes while Eve paced the apartment, becoming more and more worried.

"Well?" she said, when Oracle finally came up for air.

The other girl shook her head. "I found it. You're right, it's bad. There are Frost Giants invading this metaverse from another."

"Crap!" The word exploded out of Eve. "Thanks, Or. I promise to drop by and see you in a week. If you lose me, contact Herald and tell him to haul ass to 16. That is where it is, right? I think I marked it, but I'm not sure."

Oracle nodded. "Earth 16. Go ahead. And I'm not waiting a week. I want a report from you by tomorrow. If you don't, I'm calling Herald and telling him to send in the cavalry."

Eve sighed. "If I can't work this out by tomorrow, I'm going to need it. Thanks, Babs. Good luck." She raced out of the room and dove through the mirror, vanishing into the Void.

* * *

***Crème de champignons=cream of mushroom soup.**

**Mailbox time!**

**Piggythelaw: Her full name will be important later. Make sure you remember it… Thanks! **

**Prettykitty luvs u: Wow. Thank you! Seriously, I'm blushing here. I'm glad you're enjoying Eve so much. **

**Eesanchez95: Thanks for the compliments and feedback! I love writing this character with Robin, because it's interesting to explore a complex good-friends relationship without making it romantic in any way.**

**Okay, so Oracle is a real character in the DC universe, in case any of you were wondering. Congrats to Fellblood Morgan for guessing correctly. Barbara Gordon gets shot in the spine by the Joker and has to give up being Batgirl, but is still badass and amazing and an awesome hacker. She has no powers, but hey, this is fanfiction and if I want to steal a badass character and make her even cooler and part of a fictional interdimensional organization of people, I will. I have no clue whether or not she will show up again yet. Let me know what you think about her in a review! Or don't, but review anyway!**


	10. Plans and Schemes

**Mt. Justice**

**June 23****rd**

**12:34 EDT**

M'gann didn't really like summer. It was too warm and muggy, and there were too many minds active. Therefore, when she was pleasantly surprised to find that the temperature outside the Cave had dropped to freezing, she didn't see why it was a bad thing.

Then it started to snow, and even though she liked it, she knew that snow in summer was a bad sign. The reactions of her teammates confirmed that statement.

Before little more than an inch of snow had accumulated on their doorstep, Batman summoned the Team to the training room.

"Team. As of 1900 hours yesterday, temperatures across northern regions had begun to drop. As of 0700 hours this morning, near- or below-freezing temperatures have become common across the globe. Snow began to fall worldwide at approximately 0900 hours. There are currently fifteen massive storms covering every continent and most of the oceans, causing wide-ranging and damaging effects. All of these incidents occurred at a time when all known cold villains were accounted for. It is unknown whether these storms are the work of the Light, the League of Shadows…" he paused ominously. "Or something new. Your mission is to investigate Belle Reve. Find out if there are any cracks in the system after Warden Strange was removed."

* * *

**Mt. Justice**

**June 29****th**

**19:47 EDT**

"Well?" Batman asked as the team returned to the Cave, They had spent the past week surreptitiously investigating every detail of Belle Reve. It had taken some undercover work (this time as guards instead of inmates), quite a bit of hacking, and some furtive mind-reading on M'gann's part.

"Belle Reve was a dead end. None of the inmates have left, or have even received messages from outside that weren't officially sanctioned. And I checked all of those too. Nothing encoded, in any form."

There wasn't a sigh, but there might as well have been. "Good work investigating, anyway. Get some rest.

* * *

**Mt. Justice**

**June 30****th**

**9:04 EDT**

There was a whir from the Zeta tubes. "_Recognized: Superman; zero-one."_

The Team exchanged confused glances. Why would the Big Man come here?

"Batman," the Leaguer said, walking over. "We've just discovered a new Project Cadmus facility. It might be abandoned, but it's likely that it may contain important information. Specifically, regarding cloning. If they've managed to duplicate the abilities of any of the ice villains—" Superman stopped as he noticed the Team staring at him intensely. Batman turned around to glare at the teens.

"Yes?"

"Batman, we wish to take this case. We have been investigating Cadmus from the beginning. It would be…poetic justice," he suggested, with a firm poker face but a twinkle in his eyes. Robin couldn't restrain a snicker, which KF elbowed him for.

"Fine," Batman said. "Superman, where is this facility?"

* * *

**The Void**

Nightwalker swam in the Void. Predictable in its unpredictability, the Void now resembled more of a deep ocean trench than a blank landscape. Well, as much as a dimension of pure nothingness can resemble anything.

She was desperately searching for the way back to the Cave, trying to lock onto Dick's psyche. She had no idea how long it had been since she had been there. In the Void itself, no time passed for her, but as soon as she jumped out again, time had passed. It could be anywhere from a few seconds to a few months.

This time, Nightwalker was praying that it was a few-seconds thing. She moved as quickly as she could, keeping up a running commentary of every single curse word she knew under her breath.

Nightwalker found the link she was looking for and jumped out immediately. She was standing in the middle of a dark warehouse, surrounded by dozens of robots. The Team was there as well, fighting them off.

"Stobor tfil ytnewt teef dna llaf!"

Nightwalker spun around as she heard someone shout an incantation. Zatanna held her hand at a clump of robots as they lifted into the air only to smash to the ground moments later.

"Nightwalker?" Zatanna called. "What are you doing here?"

"Bearer of bad news!" Nightwalker yelled. She pulled out her bo staff and charged it, joining the fight. "Really, really bad news!"

She joined the Team as they fought. Five minutes later, half the robots were smoking on the ground and Robin ran in.

"I got it! Let's go!" he shouted. Nightwalker followed the Team as they ran to the Bio-ship and got in with them, collapsing in an extra chair and panting.

"Nightwalker?" Robin asked. "What are you doing here?"

She lurched to her feet. "How long have I been gone?" she demanded. She looked out the window to see that snow was falling. "Why is it snowing? Has it been that long since I've seen you?"

"No, it's only been a week," Wally said.

"The snow is the reason we were on this mission. We believe it to be the work of five ice villains, all of whom are locked up…" Kaldur started to say. Nightwalker was shaking her head.

"No, it's not. It's even worse than that."

* * *

**Mt. Justice**

**June 30****th**

**18:45 EDT**

The Team had gotten back to the Cave, and were standing around in the mission room. The entire League had also arrived. After a quick briefing on who Nightwalker was, they had settled in to listen to her explanation. She had plugged her wrist computer, which Oracle had upgraded so that it could access databases from several different dimensions, into the holo-computer. It was now displaying several images from the SHIELD database, showing blue-skinned, red-eyed creatures. Frost encrusted their bodies.

"Last week, while I was locating and disabling or moving access points here, I discovered an energy disturbance near the North Pole. Someone was trying to use magic to force their way through to this universe from another. I was unable to tell who was trying to do so. I paid a visit to an associate of mine, Oracle, who can see through dimensions. Oracle confirmed that there have been similar disturbances in several different universes, and I was able to identify the energy signature. It is magic of an ancient and dark kind, and it belongs to a particular race. The Frost Giants."

"The who-now?" Flash asked.

"The Frost Giants. You may recognize them as the Jotuns from Norse mythology. They exist in a universe where the myths are real, based off of visitors from other dimensions. Laufey, their leader, is constantly attempting to invade the Earth and expand his rule. It seems that he decided to switch from trying to conquer his universe's Earth to conquering those of other dimensions, but yours is the first he was able to fully access. He's apparently sent some of his armies here. That's what's causing the cold weather. It won't be too many—just an advance guard of some of his largest warriors, the ones who can generate their own atmospheric shell. He wants to freeze the whole planet. Once he's done that, he'll bring the rest of his forces here."

"You seem quite well informed about his plans," Batman remarked.

Nightwalker glared at him. "Did you just accuse me of being a traitor? I really hope you didn't do that." Her eyes had become a stormy gray. "I've had to fight him before. His M.O. was the same. Do you want my help or not?"

"Fine. What do you advise we do?"

Nightwalker turned back to the keyboard. Her fingers flew, calling up a holographic globe of the Earth. She traced the weather patterns, making them show up as white swirls moving across the globe. Narrowing it down, Eve cut out all the tendrils of the storms, only showing their slowly moving centers. "Those are the Frost Giants. And I _mean_ giants. Think thirty feet minimum. I need you to track them down and contain them long enough for me to bring in a friend. He can transport them to the North Pole and the access point there. Then, I can move them through the access point and hopefully block it off."

"Can't we just take them down?" Superboy asked.

Nightwalker raised an eyebrow. "Do you happen to have on you an ancient and magical hammer forged of _uru _metal millennia ago by dwarves in the heart of a dying star?"

When no one responded, she shrugged. "That's the only thing I know of that can stop them for good. Otherwise, call in any heroes you know with fire or ice powers. That might make a dent. Oh, and if they make skin contact, you'll freeze to death. Just a warning."

"How long will it take you?" Superman asked.

Nightwalker looked at him solemnly. "Less than a day, longer than an hour. More specific than that, I can't say. I just need you to keep them away from large areas of human habitation." She reached in her pocket and pulled out a list. "This is the list I promised you of the access points on this Earth. Figured it would be better to give it to you now while I still can. I managed to close most of them, but there are thirty that I couldn't. They shouldn't be dangerous unless there's someone who knows how to use them, which I doubt. Please don't try to use them yourselves without permission. They've been tagged, so we _will_ know if they are used, and we _will_ investigate."

"Fine," Batman said evenly. He pulled a communicator out of his belt and handed it to her. "When you get back here, I assume you'll need a way to track us down?"

"Yes. Thank you." Nightwalker accepted it, slipping it into her ear. "I'll be back. Good luck." With that, she silhouetted and vanished.

Batman turned to the League and Team members assembled there. "Alright. You all heard her. With Doctor Fate off-world, I need all hands on deck. Now, there are fifteen giants currently scattered across the globe, and thirty of us here. We need to split into teams of two to work together and contain them. Lucas Carr will coordinate from the Watchtower. Let's move out."

* * *

**I know this chapter's kind of short, but the next one will be fairly long. **

**Mailbox time! (Yay! Four reviews!)**

**Piggythelaw: I know, right? Very tasty. I'm so glad you like my version of Barbara. I honestly support shipping her and Dick, unless, of course, Zatanna is around. Sorry, but I love Chalant far too much. They're just so—so—I can't even describe it, it's so adorable!**

**Sass-master-lucifer: Yes! Yes! Frost Giants! So much fun! You know, as long as you're not freezing to death because one touched you. Loki, sadly, is not involved in this story due to my personal headcanon, which involves him living a long, safe, happy life. You'll see if I ever update The Girl in the Fedora. (Oops! Spoilers!)**

**Eesanchez95: Hey, it's okay! Don't be mad! Anyway, I'm glad you liked it. Unfortunately, it did turn out to be a matter of "when," not "if." But hey, it wouldn't be as fun if they didn't!**

**Prettykitty luvs u: Ha-ha! Thanks!**

**So this chapter was kind of short, but the next ones will be fairly long.**

**Happy Mardi Gras! Celebrate with me by enjoying free virtual ice cream! Or hot chocolate, if you, like me, are tired of dealing with snow and ice. SPRING BETTER DARN WELL GET HERE SOON!**

**So I was looking at what I've written so far, and I've noticed that my major plot ends about halfway through. Since that makes the rest of it seem weird and unrelated, I'm going to end this story in about three more chapters. If people want to see it continued, I'll post the rest of it as a series of one-shots under a new story. So let me know!**

**Oh, and now I've revealed this will be ending! Muahahahahaha!**

**How do you think it will happen? Will I torture you or cut you off quickly?**

**Well, you'll just have to find out. Tune in next time to...bumbumBUM! (announcer voice) ****_Stranger Things Have Happened! _****(****_Not Really.)_**

**Quick note: My first story, Nightwalker, hit over 2000 views! YAY!**


	11. The Battle Begins--And Ends

Eve dropped into the Void, and seized onto the psychic connection with Herald, burning up some of her energy to get herself there quickly. She needed to see him—now.

Eve dropped out of the Void into Herald's home dimension. It was a strange place, oddly colored and designed. He had a nice little house there, which many were unaware of. She actually landed right over his dinner table.

"Whoa!" he said. "Little warning next time, maybe?"

"No time," she said. "Earth 1. We need to pick up Hotspot. And then we have a crisis to solve on Earth 16."

"What's happening?"

"Routine check evolved into Frost Giant invasion. Do I need to go any further?"

Herald grabbed his trumpet. "Let's boogie." He raised it to his lips and blew, opening a portal into a small city in North Africa.

Hotspot was walking down the street when he heard a blast of sound behind him. He quickly summoned up his fiery form and spun around. After Madame Rouge had ambushed him seven months ago, he had become rather paranoid.

He was relieved to see a round portal in the air that Herald and Nightwalker stepped through. He had met Nightwalker at the conference, and like the rest of the Titans, had agreed to help out if there was ever any trouble.

"Hey!" he said. "What's up?"

"Unfortunately, an invasion in another universe. How do you feel about fighting Frost Giants?"

"Why not? Things have been getting a little quiet here recently," Hotspot said, shrugging.

"Good," Nightwalker said. She and Herald had a quick discussion about "cross-dimensional spatial transference" "Void flux" and "access points" that he only understood about half of. Eventually, they reached a consensus. Nightwalker held out her hand and created some dark energy on a wall, and Herald aimed a portal straight at it. It swirled for a moment, looking much more ominous than the usual portals.

"Um..." Hotspot said, looking right at it. "Is that thing…safe?"

"As long as you're with me…" Nightwalker said, giving an evil grin. "Nothing is safe anymore. I just need you to power down long enough to make it through. If I'm not holding onto you, I can't guarantee how healthy you'll be on the other side."

"Uh…you sure this is what I signed up for?"

"Power down and let's go already."

Hotspot sighed and reabsorbed the flames. "Fine."

She grabbed his arm and Herald's and stepped through the portal, dragging both of them with her.

Hotspot wasn't sure how long they were in there. Things took on a timeless quality as they walked through the nothingness. He might have just stopped, worn down by the sheer emptiness of it, but Nightwalker kept moving, pulling him with her. Eventually, they reached the other side of the portal, and he transferred his hand to Nightwalker's shoulder as she held out her hand, opening another window in space. As soon as it appeared, all three of them stepped through into a dark, dingy, snowy alley.

When they reached the other side, Nightwalker gasped, and had to sit down. She gave a small wave, and the portal shimmered slightly before vanishing.

"Whoa. Are we trapped here?" Hotspot demanded.

"No. I just hid it. We can get home the same way as before," Nightwalker said. She looked ashen.

"Are you okay?"

"Just need…to eat something." She reached into her pocket and pulled out an energy bar, devouring it. She looked better afterwards.

"Okay," she said. "Let's go." She reached up and tapped her ear, activating the new comm-link. "Nightwalker to Watchtower. What time is it? Eastern Daylight?"

"_This is Watchtower. The Eastern Daylight time is currently 22:04. Just after ten at night."_

"I brought backup. Who needs help the most? Or rather, who's tracking a Frost Giant that's less than a mile away from civilization?"

"_Superman and Superboy are dealing with one near Smallville."_

"Exact coordinates?"

Black Canary listed them and Nightwalker relayed them to Herald. "Hotspot, power up. We're going in."

"_Hotspot?_" Black Canary asked.

"A friend."

Herald fiddled with his trumpet for a minute before blasting out a wave of sound. It opened a portal revealing a snowy meadow just outside a small town. The three ran through to find themselves twenty yards away from a Frost Giant.

It was a big one—easily fifty feet. The elder Kryptonian flew around the monster's head, assaulting it with heat vision, while the younger one pummeled its feet, sometimes leaping up to punch out its knees.

"Herald, can you make a portal big enough?"

"I'll need time."

"We'll buy it. Hotspot, come on!"

Hotspot charged up and launched himself at the creature, melting out its feet. Roaring in pain, it collapsed, falling to the ground and crushing several fields.

"Bout time you showed up!" Conner yelled, jumping on the creature and crushing in its back. Another deafening roar issued. "This thing reforms as fast as we can break it!"

"Tried to warn you!" she yelled. "Sorry I'm late! Had to grab a couple friends! Keep it busy! Herald needs time to open a portal!"

"Got it!" Superman yelled. "And you, whatever-your-name-is—"

"Hotspot!" the party in question shouted, blasting fire at the giant.

"Try not to burn down the town!"

"Geez! I've got it under control!"

The four of them held up the fight for a good five minutes before Herald finally yelled, "Ready! Nightwalker, Hotspot, jump! You two, can you go along and keep this thing contained?'

"Do it!" Superboy yelled, trying to hang onto the giant.

There was a sonic boom, and a huge portal opened up underneath the giant, leading to the frozen tundra of the North Pole. The frost giant fell through, taking Super –boy and –man with it.

Nightwalker tapped her communicator. "Nightwalker to Watchtower. The giant near Smallville has been sent to the North Pole. Next location."

* * *

**Cape Horn**

**July 1****st**

**00:32**

Two and a half hours later, Herald, Nightwalker, and Hotspot landed outside the portal on Cape Horn. All but one of the giants had already been taken care of, and the extreme weather conditions were starting to relax, ever so slightly. The last one, being hassled by Aquaman and Aqualad, was fortunately the smallest so far, only thirty feet tall.

"Who's your friend?" Nightwalker called. She and Hotspot charged in while Herald prepped his horn. They had this down to a science by now. She pummeled the creature with empathic attacks, causing it to become disoriented, while Hotspot sent fiery blasts at the hands and feet to immobilize and incapacitate it.

"We did not catch his name," Aqualad called as he ducked, "But he plays most roughly."

"Who is this guy?" Hotspot asked as he pummeled the giant. "And I'm not talking about Frosty here."

"Aqualad, Hotspot. Hotspot, Aqualad." Nightwalker shouted. "Be nice now. No fighting, no biting, and no Indian burns. Or any kind of burns at all."

"That's not Aqualad! I've met Aqualad!" Hotspot called.

"Different dimension, Hotspot. Keep an open mind. You've already met another Robin and Kid Flash, is another Aqualad so hard to grasp? _AAAAGHHHH!" _The last was an incoherent scream of pain.

"Nightwalker!" Herald yelled.

"I'm—_agh_—fine! Finish the damn spell!"

"You don't sound fine!" Hotspot called.

"Shit! Channeling so much ****ing hate is kind of ****ing painful. Herald, do you have that damn spell done yet?"

"Yes! Hang on—we're going as well!"

There was a loud sonic boom as a portal opened beneath the giant's feet. He fell through, taking Hotspot and the two Atlantians with him.

Nightwalker grabbed Herald under the arms and flew through the portal. It closed behind them.

* * *

**North Pole **

**July 1****st**

**00:40**

It was absolute chaos. Fifteen frost giants, ranging in size from thirty to fifty feet, were scattered across the pole. Various members of the Justice League were tackling them.

"Holy shit," Nightwalker muttered. She switched her vision to detect Void stuff, and swore again. "Holy ****ing _shit._"

"Remind me to wash your mouth out with soap when we get back to the Tower," Herald said.

Nightwalker used her telepathy, activated by the contact, to show him what she could see.

"Oh, wow," he muttered. There was a huge portal, invisible to the naked eye, hovering in the air just over the Pole itself. It glowed and hummed with energy, tendrils of it shooting out. The entire icecap, within a fifty-yard radius, was almost entirely infused with the dark stuff. It looked as though there were cracks running through the glacier.

"I need to gather that all up and put it back into the portal," Nightwalker said. "It'll take me at least half an hour. Then I'll need your help to reopen it and get the giants through, and shut it down for good."

Herald looked up at her. "Night, to shut down that portal, you'll need to throw the worlds out of alignment."

"I know," she said, not looking at him as she circled downwards. "That is why you will be out of this universe and back with the Titans by the time I do it."

"You'll have to do it from _this_ side."

"Again, I know that. You and Hotspot need to be out of here when I do it. I need you to open up the portal with the Horn, and then leave as fast as you can."

"Eve, you'll be trapped here."

"Not forever. It'll be a year at the very most. And I can still go back to worlds I've already visited in spirit form. I just can't explore. We'll have to put our plans on hold for a while."

"Eve, I can't let you—"

"We don't have a choice!" she snapped. "You are going to help the League contain the monsters and corral them back here while I collect the energy and put it back into the portal. Then you will help me open that portal, and _then_ you will get yourself and Hotspot out of here and as far away as possible."

Before Herald could argue, his feet hit the ground and Nightwalker let him go, taking off again. She flew low over the ground with her hands held out and her eyes covered with a dark gray film. Herald let out a sigh and ran off to help the nearest League members.

Nightwalker swooped across the glacier, holding out her hands. She could see the Void energy interwoven through the ice, and was doing her best to collect it. The first action she took was to fly out to the edges of where it was spreading, and halt its advance before flying in ever-tightening circles, chasing it back into the center. She couldn't draw it all into herself, so her best bet was to push it to where she wouldn't have to. As she circled, the others seemed to catch on to what she was doing. They helped her out by moving their targets closer to the center, keeping them out of her way.

Eventually, Nightwalker had gathered the energy into a tight ten-yard radius as large as the portal. She hovered fifty feet above the battlefield, drawing it closer and closer. She would have to use herself as the anchor for this portal.

"Herald!" she called. He lifted the trumpet to his lips.

"Cover your ears!" he yelled. Everyone was quick to do so as he let out a sonic blast louder than anything she had heard him do before. It echoed around the plateau of ice, merging with the portal and making it visible. Nightwalker gasped as the energy surged through her. She fought it down and directed it, reopening the portal so it went only one way.

Back.

"Now!" she yelled. There was a rush of green energy, and Nightwalker worked to gain some more altitude as the three Green Lanterns pushed the giants towards the portal. The other heroes continued to help, driving the giants right where she needed them.

While they were focused on that, Nightwalker locked eyes with Herald, and nodded. He raised the trumpet to his lips as she sent a blast of Void energy directly next to him, repeating the maneuver she used to get them here. This bit of energy, however, would throw the worlds into alignment for a brief moment, long enough for him and Hotspot to jump directly through.

"Hotspot!" she shouted over the rising wind. Hotspot, who was battering the giants, looked up.

"Go with Herald. _Now!_" Nightwalker sent a mental blast at him to enforce that. He yelled, but Herald grabbed his arm and dragged him through the portal. It closed behind them.

"Get back! All of you!" Nightwalker yelled at the League. The giants were close enough to the portal now. "As far away as you can!"

They all looked up at her. "_Go!" _she yelled. She sent out a wave of primal fear at all of them, the kind that sent small animals scurrying away from larger ones. All of them had instincts that were already screaming that—they just needed a little push.

It affected all of them, and they turned and ran. The only one who managed to fight it off was Batman. He looked up at her, a silent question in his eyes.

"Go," she whispered, summoning up the last dregs of her energy. He turned around and took off, going as fast as he could.

As soon as they were out of range, Nightwalker reached out to the Void and became a channel for the energy. She let out a primal yell of pain and fear as it rushed through her, almost overwhelming her. It reached out to suck in all of the giants, dragging them back, roaring, into the heart of their own dimension. As soon as they were all gone, Nightwalker used a blast of energy to completely shut down the portal, throwing the worlds out of alignment. A streak of black, sparkling light shot up to the sky as it sealed, cutting off the dimension for good. She let it envelop her, using it to teleport away.

It was the last time she would teleport for a long time.

* * *

**North Pole**

**July 1****st**

**1:32 EST**

Robin stood over the icy landscape, bright in the light from the midnight sun. The ice was already starting to creak as it returned to normal summer temperatures. Already, there was barely any sign that a great battle had taken place there just hours before.

They were combing the landscape for any sign of the three strangers who had helped them. It had been an hour since the strange black beacon had shot up, engulfing Nightwalker. The other two, Hotspot and Herald, had seemingly been gone before that.

Robin was ashamed of himself. He had turned and run when he should have stayed behind to help! What was wrong with him? Even finding out that the rest of the League had done the same had not been much consolation. He had a feeling Nightwalker had done it on purpose to drive them away—except he didn't like the way that train of thought led. The logical conclusion was that she had sacrificed herself, which he refused to consider.

"I found something!" Hal Jordan called. He was hovering over the ice, scanning it with his ring.

"What is it?" Batman asked.

Jordan used a green shield to pick something up off the ground. It held two items: a League-issue communicator and a shortened bo-staff.

"No," Robin whispered. The other members of the Team had come over as well. "Does that mean that she—she—" he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Sacrificed herself for the sake of her friends and us? Apparently," Jordan said.

M'gann and J'onn landed next to them. "We swept the entire plateau. There is no sign of the girl or her friends."

Robin picked up the bo-staff and examined it. There was a third button he hadn't noticed before, and he pressed it. A holographic image of Nightwalker was projected from the end.

"_Greetings," _the recording said in a hollow voice. _"This is a message from Nightwalker to the Justice League. If you're watching this, then hopefully the plan has succeeded. In order for this to work, I'll need to open a portal to return the Frost Giants to their own world. To do that, I will have to channel the energy of the Void itself, which will draw me into it. It'll be rather hard for me to stick around. This is just to let you know that as a consequence of what I have to do, travel to and from this universe will be impossible for a period of up to a year. Thank you for your help, and good luck." _The holo-recording powered down.

"She's alive!" Artemis said.

"And she won't be here for a while. Good work, everybody. Let's move out." That was Batman, coming up from behind them. He picked up the bo-staff. "I want to analyze this. It should help me complete the prototype."

The non-flying members of the League and Team gathered on their own transports, provided by the Green Lanterns. Batman paused, looking out at the frozen wasteland before stepping on. He had seen the girl's face before she vanished. That was not a look worn by someone who expected to return to her own dimension.

The League traveled away, with Batman staring at the ground, pondering the strange events that had happened that day.

* * *

**Three months later**

**Smallville**

**The Kent Farm**

**October 4****th**

**15:34 CST**

Jonathan Kent was out in the middle of the wheat field, driving the combine. There was a thunderstorm coming, and he wanted to get the last of the hay in before it hit. It didn't look like he was going to make it at this point. An extra pair of hands would definitely help. He wished wistfully for the days when Clark was out here, helping with his super-strength.

There was a shrill whistle at the edge of his hearing, and he cut the engine, looking up to see a tall young woman standing at the edge of the field. He got out and walked over to her as she moved towards him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I'm a traveling worker. Ray, the guy at the gas station in town, sent me to your farm, and your wife sent me here. Do you want my help?"

Jon studied her. She didn't look much different from other migrant workers she had seen. She had long black hair confined in a braid, tanned skin, and sparkling gray eyes. She was dressed in an old sweatshirt reading BOSTON COLLEGE and a pair of jeans. Calluses on her hands showed that she was no stranger to hard work, as did a skinny but well-muscled frame.

"Sure. You got a name?"

"Call me Katrina, or just Katie, if you prefer."

**Sorry for the late update. My computer was being really weird, but now it's up! Finally! **

**Ooooh! Who's the mystery girl? **

**Muahahaha…I'm evil. I know I am. It comes with the territory. As further example of my evilness, I will not be updating again until Sunday because my life until then will be a chaotic whirlwind due to the maelstrom that is the impending drama festival. And also due to the fact that I need to rewrite what is at the moment a totally shitty five-page story into something I won't be nauseated by when I turn it in. Until then, you will just have to be tormented by this. Oh, and I still need feedback on whether or not I should post the rest of the chapters that take place after the main plot has finished as a series of one-shots. Let me know if you have a preference, please!**

**Mailbox time!**

**Piggythelaw: Yay, Batman! I do not know if I will be writing very much DaddyBats, though I do love DaddyBats. And yay for evil and dangerous yet strangely huggable Frost Giants! Although they are all gone now.**

**Prettykitty luvs u: First, second, and third, THANK YOU! Review love makes me happy. I hope you get well soon!**


	12. Katrina

**Kent Farm**

**October 4****th**

**18:04 CST**

Martha Kent was setting out a dinner for three when the door opened and the strange girl from earlier stepped in, arguing with her husband.

"Look, it's really fine. I have food. I can just find a place to sleep in the barn. You don't need to do this for me."

"Not a chance. There's plenty of dinner here, and with both our sons away, there's an extra room. You're absolutely welcome to stay here. Martha! Come meet Katrina."

"Thanks for your help today. Come on! Sit! Eat! I made more than enough food for the three of us."

The girl looked like she was more than ready to keep arguing, but Martha put her hands on her shoulders, guided her over to a chair, and pushed down, forcing her to sit. She'd had to use the same strategy on Clark more than once.

Jonathan took his seat just before Martha brought the ham that was dinner over to the table. At that moment, there was a loud _Boom!_ overhead and the lights went dark.

"Looks like the thunderstorm knocked out the power. I'll get the candles," Jonathan said, standing up.

He found them after digging in a drawer and turned around to see Katrina standing at the window, watching the storm.

"I've always loved thunderstorms," she said, in a faraway voice. "So wild and free, so much power…to me, they are truly beautiful things."

"You and Clark," Martha remarked. "He spent hours watching them when he should be sleeping."

"Clark's our older boy," Jonathan told her.

"Clark Kent?" she said, turning around. "As in, the reporter at the _Daily Planet?_"

"Yes. Do you read it?"

"Not exactly," she admitted wryly. "But I submit photos for a little extra cash. Clark's the one I send them to."

"Are you a good photographer?" Martha asked.

Katrina walked over to where her backpack was in the corner. Lifting it up, she unzipped it and pulled out a large Ziploc bag with a bundle of photos inside. "See for yourself."

She placed them on the table. Martha reached for it and opened it up to reveal several photos. The film quality was cheaply developed, but the pictures…

"These are amazing," Martha said. She examined them. Several were pictures of scenes found in nature—waterfalls, mountain ranges, thunderstorms, and others. They seemed to capture them in their best light, showcasing great beauty and majesty. Others were from camps of migrant workers.

"Those were all taken with the permission of the people portrayed," Katrina said, nodding at them. They showed the people in various poses—some talking and laughing around a fire, some working in the fields. There were young children slumped against their parents, fast asleep. Entire families sharing a meal of apples for dinner. A picture of a funeral, with crowds lined up in front of two tiny coffins, caused Martha Kent to reach up and dab at her eyes.

"These are incredible," she said. "How do you…"

Katrina shrugged. "I don't do anything. I just go places with a camera and the pictures happen."

"You seem like a smart kid," Jonathan asked. "How did you wind up doing this for a living?"

Katrina raised an eyebrow. "That question could get you punched in a camp. But I don't mind sharing. My story's the same as many others. Technically and legally, I don't exist. I lost my family a while ago. Didn't really have an option, so I took to the roads. Found a camera, and the rest is history. Film can be spendy, but your son always makes sure that I'm paid fairly. He's made me a job offer, but I haven't taken him up on that. Not that I'm trying to romanticize the life, but I value my independence. I can just get up and walk wherever I want. No one to stop me, no one to question me. Complete freedom. Of course, freedom also means going hungry and cold most nights and cheated of a fair wage others, but that's life. I'm reasonably happy being a correspondence photographer, and I'm proud to say that everything I have is my own. I don't owe anyone a damned cent."

"Mind your language while under our roof," Martha scolded. "And after you put these away, eat dinner before it gets cold."

Katrina gave a small smile and gathered up the pictures, slipping them back into the Ziploc. "Thank you. Most people aren't nearly so kind."

The three of them ate together, discussing some of the truly spectacular locations she had been to and photographed. After dinner, Katrina volunteered to wash the dishes, and despite their insistences, managed to shout them down and claimed that she would be more comfortable in the barn. Martha did manage to force a sleeping bag and a container of leftovers on her, but that was all she would accept before leaving for the barn.

* * *

Eve pushed aside the door to the barn and stepped inside, closing it behind her with a sigh. It had been three months since the incident at the North Pole with the Frost Giants. Since then, she had been living as a migrant worker and supposed illegal immigrant, just one among thousands more. It was the easiest, since legally, she _didn't_ exist, was strong enough to work, could cover more ground when she flew, and could make the food she needed if there was no other option. She often created excess foodstuffs out of Void energy and distributed them at camps she stayed at.

It had been three months since she had woken up in an alleyway in Gotham. Using up the Void energy to teleport away from the Pole had completely cut off her access to it. She could still reach it in dreams, but her waking body had lost the ability to connect to it. Throwing the worlds out of alignment had caused the Void to lose access to this one. There was plenty of residual energy throughout the universe, but none still leaking through. So she couldn't teleport or store items in the gap between worlds, but she could still use the residual energy located on-world.

Another reason Eve had chosen to live as a migrant worker was that it was easier to evade the Justice League. The last thing she wanted was for them to discover she was still in their universe. She knew that if they found her, they had several options, very few of them good. _While I may have powers, they aren't at full capacity right now, so I can't do my job. And I can't exactly join the League, since I'm going to vanish in eight months. I don't want to be a charity case. I don't want them trying to keep tabs on me. I _like_ my independence. Even if I _do_ go cold and hungry on the nights I can't find any Void stuff…_

Eve shook off that train of thoughts. She wanted to grab a few hours of sleep and leave early the next morning. She didn't want to be here. Sending the pictures she took to the Daily Planet had been risky enough, especially when they were picked up by Kent, but landing at his family's farm was just begging for the Justice League to come breathing down her neck.

Letting out another sigh at the combination of tedium and tension her life had become, Eve found a comfortable place in the corner of the barn and settled down. While she preferred to hover in the air to mediate, that would be a dead giveaway if anyone saw her in here.

Closing her eyes, Eve zoned out of her body. Like she did every night, she let her mind slip loose, letting it drift into the Void. She studied the energy fluctuations. Until this universe returned to its proper place, she could not influence the flow. She could only watch and wait.

The Void seemed fairly active tonight. It was slowly moving around where the universe sat, like a floating ball in a foamy, languid sea, gradually moving it back to where it would line up with the rest of the balls that stretched out in every direction. It was moving a tiny bit more swiftly tonight, however. From watching, she could estimate that it would be another six months before it was finally realigned.

_So I can get _out_ of this universe and back to Ga—the Titans. Then I can go back to doing my job. But Garth _will_ chew me out majorly. That is, more than he hasn't done already. That reminds me. I should get some sleep—or rather, some dreams. It's about time I checked in with World 1 again. _

Eve came out of her trance and yawned. She undid her braid, letting her hair hang loose, and crawled into the sleeping bag, using her pack for a pillow. She was asleep within moments.

* * *

Floating in the Void while asleep was such a relief to Eve. It comforted her, reassured her that she still had her abilities, even if she was temporarily cut off from them. She paused for a few moments to enjoy the sensation before moving on to her psychic link.

Eve landed inside the tower for Titans East, hoping that for once they wouldn't be out on a mission.

Her luck was in. "Senorita Eva!" There was a red-and-white blur, and suddenly Mas y Menós were standing in front of her.

"Hey guys!" she said. "Es Aqualad alrededor?" (**Is Aqualad around?)**

"Sí," Mas said. **(Yes.)**

"Es abatido en el fondo de la piscina." Ménos added. **(He's moping at the bottom of the pool.)**

"Gracias." **(Thanks)**

Eve walked over to the edge and dove off the side, landing in the water with a splash. She swam down, looking around for Aqualad.

"Garth?" she called. All that came out was a string of bubbles.

There was a tap on her shoulder and she spun around. "Holy—"

Garth was swimming behind her, a grin on his face. She swatted him. "Will you stop that?"

Once again, only bubbles came out, but he chuckled and gestured at the surface. She raised an eyebrow, activated her flight, and shot up. There was a sudden rush of water, and Garth shot up next to her as the water above her thickened to the point where she couldn't push through.

_Cheater._

One of the perks of being in a dream-state—she could control reality. There was a rush, and suddenly she and Garth had switched positions.

"Hey!" he yelled. Or tried to. Once, again, it was only bubbles that came out.

Eve just laughed and gained more height, bursting out of the water a full fifteen seconds before he did.

There was a sad expression on his face, and she knew that it wasn't just from losing the race.

"You're still not all here, are you." It wasn't a question.

She shook her head. "Right now, I'm asleep in the barn of a lovely couple in Kansas."

"In the barn?" he asked.

"My decision. Easier to make a break for it if I have to."

"Make a break from _what_?"

"Does it matter? I'm just trying to think ahead."

"You shouldn't have to!"

Eve sighed and sat down. "Garth, you know if I could, I'd be out of there in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, it looks like it'll be another six months."

He looked away. "Six months?"

"Garth, what do you want me to do? Even if I did have my full powers, I'd be off exploring other dimensions. I wouldn't even see you as much as I'm seeing you now."

"I know that," he said, looking at her. "But at least I'd know that you could get yourself out of there if you needed to. You're stuck there."

"I'm not exactly helpless, Gar," she said, a hint of amusement.

"That's not what I meant!"

She laughed. "You're sweet to worry. But I'll be fine. I've managed to stay out of trouble and away from the League so far. Hopefully, it'll hold up. Look, I worry about you just as much as you worry about me now. You can't exactly pack up and leave either, and you're pulling double duty with the Titans, helping out here and in Atlantis."

"You worry about me?" he asked.

"Gar, you're my best friend, and you've made the insane choice to become a hero for a living. Why wouldn't I worry about you?"

He looked like he was going to say something, but a loud rumble echoed in Nightwalker's ears. "Crap. I'm waking up. See you soon, Garth. Say hi to Speedy and Bumblebee for me." With that, she faded out of the world and woke up with a start.

* * *

Mr. Kent was pushing the big door to the barn aside. "Up and at 'em. I don't know whether you plan on sticking around or heading out today, but Martha insists on giving you breakfast."

He grinned at her. Eve yawned and climbed out of the sleeping bag. "I'll be there in five minutes."

Half an hour later, the three of them were sitting around the remains of breakfast, talking and laughing. Eve was laughing along with them, when she felt something.

She had extended her emotional range all the way out to a ten-mile radius. There were only three people inside it—herself and the two Kents. But now there was a fourth.

And, unfortunately, she recognized the emotional signature, though she had only felt it twice before.

_Crap. Crap, crap, crap._

She jumped to her feet, startling the two Kents.

"Katrina?" Mrs. Kent asked. "What—"

"I'm sorry," she said. She grabbed her pack from the corner. "I have to go. Right now. Thank you so much. May the Lady bless and Fortune guide you each and every day for all of your kindness and help."

With that, she ran out the door as fast as she could, heading west across a barren field. She ran as fast as she could, not daring to fly in case she was seen. While she did that, she indulged freely in every curse word she knew. Why, why, _why_ had she come here? Out of all the stupid ideas she had had in the last three months, this had to be the stupidest. She had to go to Kansas, she had to go to Smallville, and she had to go to the Kent family farm.

Now the Man of Steel himself was bearing down on the place.

_Crap._

**Yay! Another cliffhanger! Muahahahaha!  
**

**She lives! I have indeed finished at the drama festival. Quick warning: If you don't want your heart ripped in two, never, ever, _ever_ watch "Worlds Afire". Seriously, I'm still crying.**

**Mailbox Time!**

**Guest: Here's the update you asked for! I hope you understand what happened now. Thanks!**

**piggythelaw: Yes! A mysterious girl! I'm glad you enjoyed the action last chapter. **

**prettykitty luvs u: Thanks! I hope you liked this one as well. And update Life of Death already! Sorry you hate Chalant, because I love it. Just a warning that while there won't be too much of it in this section, the one-shots have lots of fluff, especially involving Chalant.**

**So there you have it! A new chapter. I just want to say that I know nothing about the Kents or Smallville. Everything involving them I looked up on Wikipedia. Oh, and this thing has gotten 2,072 hits. Wow! Thanks so much!  
**

**So what do you think will happen? Will Eve escape to keep up her stealthy undercover life? Or will Superman find her?**

**Why am I talking to myself?**

**Anyway, next update will be up by tomorrow, and it will be the last chapter. The finale approaches! It will probably be the longest chapter yet. After that, I will indeed be posting the one-shots I talked about earlier. Any suggestions for a title?  
**

**Reviews are welcome!**


	13. Something Lost and Found

**Smallville**

**October 5****th**

**8:47 EDT**

Superman accelerated a bit as he came within sight of the family farm, pleased to be home after being away for so long.

He frowned as there was a streak at the edge of his vision. _What is_… Zooming in with telescopic vision, he saw a figure streaking across the corn field, now barren in October. He zoomed in even further, and saw that it was a young woman, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, running as fast as she could away from the farm. He used his super-hearing, and winced. The girl was cussing the air blue in English, Spanish, and a language he didn't recognize.

"Hey!" Superman called, flying down near to her. "You there, stop!"

"Stay away from me, you _loco extraterrestre!" (_**Spanish: Crazy alien!**_)_ _Pleacå!" _(**Romanian: Go away!**)

"Wait, please! I'm not going to hurt you!"

"They all say that!" she yelled. "Just leave me _alone!_" She ran even faster, heading for…

"Look out!" the Man of Steel yelled. Too late. The girl ran right over the edge of the bluff and jumped into the river.

"No!" he shouted. He switched to X-ray vision and scanned the river. The girl was walking along the bottom of the river, seemingly quite comfortable. She wore no rebreather, but didn't seem to have a problem. She continued heading west, away from the farm.

Superman frowned. Obviously, the girl didn't want to be pursued. _Do Ma and Pa know about this?_ He turned around and resumed his route towards the farmhouse. He touched his hand to his comm.

"Superman to the Justice League. Something strange just happened…"

* * *

Batman was on the Watchtower when the comm link opened.

"_Superman to the Justice League. Something strange just happened…"_

"Superman? Aren't you on break in Smallville?"

"_I am. I was on my way to the farm when I saw a girl running through the empty cornfield. She was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. When I flew lower, she yelled at me in a couple different languages as well as English and told me to leave her alone. She just jumped off a bluff into the river. X-ray vision confirms that she's down there, walking along just as comfortable as if she were on dry land. I figured that it would be best to let her leave and keep a discreet eye on it. I'm going to check in at the farm to see if Ma and Pa know anything."_

"Are you sure she wasn't Atlantian?"

"_Didn't look like it. Heat signature was different. And I'm pretty sure she wasn't saying anything in Atlantian. Sounded more like Spanish._"

"Could just be a migrant worker with meta powers. Better check with your parents and see if they know anything."

"_Roger that. Superman out._"

* * *

Superman cut the link and landed at the barn, pulling on the spare suit he kept out there. Once he was back in his civilian identity, he headed up to the main house. Martha answered the door after his first knock.

"Clark!" she said, delighted. "You're back! You just missed our guest. She said that she was a correspondence photographer who sent pictures to you."

"Really? Who?"

"A migrant worker. She called herself Katrina."

"Katrina, Katrina…" he muttered. "Oh, yes! She sends in some incredible photos from the migrant camps."

"Well, she was just here. Eating breakfast with us. But she took off running five minutes ago. Said she had to go. She looked like the devil itself was on her tail."

"This Katrina…" Clark said slowly. "Did she have black hair, by any chance? Speak Spanish?"

"Well, I don't know about the Spanish," Jonathan said, coming over. "But she did have black hair. Good to see you, son."

"Excuse me," he said. "I need to contact Batman." He turned around and left the house.

Tapping his communicator, Clark once again patched through to the Watchtower. "Superman to Batman."

"_Batman here. What have you found?"_

"I've got a name for out mystery girl. In fact, I know her. She goes by Katrina. No last name. She's a migrant worker who doubles as a freelance correspondence photographer, and sends pictures in to the Daily Planet. To me, actually. She's an excellent photographer. I've tried offering her a permanent job, but she always refuses. I've never actually met her face-to-face. She first started up two and a half months ago. The pictures are sent from a different P.O. box every time, and I just send her pay to the most recent one."

"_Katrina?_"

"Yes. She was at the farm, helping out. Ma and Pa seem pretty impressed by her."

"_Got it. I'll handle this, Clark. Batman out._"

The comm link cut out and Clark sighed. He headed back into the house, ruefully contemplating that it might be a while before he got more of her pictures.

* * *

Batman frowned as he cut the link with Clark. _Katrina…where have I heard that name before?_

He called up the Cave security footage from a few months ago, choosing the footage for the twenty-third of June, the main hangar. Fast-forwarding to around eight in the morning, he watched as the strange girl known as Nightwalker sat down on the edge of the platform, followed by Robin. He listened to their conversation, until he heard the pertinent detail he had been looking for.

"_What's your full name?"_

"_Yvonne Katrina Ambula. After my two grandmothers._"

He stopped the footage there, zooming in on the girl's face. "Gotcha."

* * *

Eve wandered along the riverbed, unsure whether she ever wanted to surface again. Or at least, for the rest of the six months it would take her to go back home.

She stopped in her tracks as the thought occurred to her. _Why can't I?_

Aquaman traditionally stayed in the ocean, so rivers would be safe. And the currents carried the Void stuff quite well. She could breathe underwater, so that was no hardship, and it would be easier to move in the rivers, and even easier to hide from the League.

_Yes, I like this plan quite well._

Eve decided to surface temporarily and take stock of her options in another few miles or so. Just to throw the Kryptonian off her tail.

After making her way down a long stretch of the Arkansas River, Eve eventually decided that it was time for her to emerge. She activated her flight, lifting up and out of the water after a quick empathic scan of the area showed that there were no people around.

After reaching a foot above the water, she turned around to see if there was a place she could land. What she saw was something far worse.

"Shit."

The entire Team stood there, glaring at her.

Even with the empathic shield M'gann was apparently holding up around the Team, Eve could tell that they were majorly pissed.

"And when, exactly, were you going to tell us that you were still here?" Robin demanded.

Eve let out a loud sigh. "Is there any chance you could possibly forget you saw me for the next six months?"

"No!" Artemis snapped.

"Fine," Eve said. She took off her backpack and held it in front of her, levitating over to the shore. She dropped it and held up her hands. "I don't want trouble. Will you give me a chance to explain?"

"Yes. Right here, right now, or this goes no further," Zatanna said.

Eve launched into her story. "Three months ago, at the North Pole, I needed to channel the Void energy to suck the giants into the portal. You all saw that, as well as the beacon I sent up. It was showy, I know, but I needed to lock the portal and make sure that the giants wouldn't be coming back. In order to do that, I had to throw this world out of alignment, as I said in the message recorded on my bo-staff. Herald, my friend with the trumpet, helped me make the portal. The problem is, to throw this world out of alignment, I had to be on this side of the Void. When I…well…shifted this universe, I effectively severed any connections this world had to the Void and trapped myself here. I cannot access the Void. I can use the residual energy still in this world, but I can't move through it in my physical form. Since I legally don't exist here, I've been living as a migrant worker and taking photographs for a little extra money."

"That all seems very reasonable," Aqualad said, stepping forward. "But it does not explain why you failed to inform the League of your continued residence in this universe."

"The reason for _that_ is because I'm stubborn as hell, have an extreme dislike for being watched, and wanted to _mejorar mi Español._"

Wally shot her a confused look, and she sighed. "I wanted to improve my Spanish. All humor aside, quite honestly, I'm an empath. In my side line of work as a therapist, making assumptions is dangerous. Why does anybody travel? To gain experience. That's what I wanted to do. I wanted to gain more knowledge of people, in the hopes that it would help me in the future."

"That's why you chose to become a migrant worker. Why didn't you tell the League?" M'gann asked.

"Again, _extreme_ dislike for being watched. I didn't want to be monitored, I didn't want to be spied on, and I definitely didn't want the Justice League breathing down my neck. Especially since I can't get away. I've been monitoring the Void. Unless there's a drastic shift, which is highly unlikely, I'm trapped here for another six months. I didn't want to spend that time in the custody of the League. I've spent time in the custody of several organizations before. Not by choice. It's something I try to avoid."

"You could at least have let us know you were alive. Like, in person," Rocket added.

"I did try to tell you. I left a message. I just couldn't risk doing it in person. I managed to use the last of the Void energy to teleport away from the Pole, but that was all I could do. I didn't try to contact you again because I knew Batman would light a fire under my tail as soon as I showed any sign of activity. I assume he's the one who tracked me down?"

"After you met up with Ma and Pa Kent, yeah," Conner said.

_Oh, dear. He's annoyed._ "Believe me, I only got involved with them because I needed a place to sleep, and they were the only ones in the area hiring. They are some of the best people I have ever had the privilege to meet."

"You lied to them," he snapped.

"I've been lying, half-starving, and freezing my ass off for the past three months because I value my privacy," Eve snapped back. "How bout you try it sometime? Then you can judge me all you like."

"Look, Eve, I'm really sorry about this, but…" Robin started.

"Stop." She held up her hand. "Let me guess. You have orders to take me into custody?"

The guilty looks on their faces were all she needed to see. "Okay, then. I'll go with you. Tie me up, gag me, blindfold me, whatever is necessary. I said I'd cooperate and I meant it. Just please don't knock me out. I do not want to have to deal with the headache."

They all looked relieved. She held her wrists out in front of her and let Robin snap a pair of handcuffs on her, then let them blindfold her and lead her into the bio-ship.

"Can you bring my backpack, please?" she called. "Nothing it contains is dangerous, but there are several things in it that I have no wish to lose."

"Why do you speak like that?" Kaldur asked. "Your speech patterns sound…formal."

"You mean I sound like an Atlantian?" she asked, wryly, turning her head to look at him, blindfolded. "I've been hanging around Garth too long."

"But you said you have not left this world in three months," Aqualad said.

"I can't move between worlds in my physical form, but my spirit is free to slip through the Void. I've been visiting with him as often as I can, in dreams."

"You're so tan ," Zatanna said, sitting next to her.

"Well, that happens when you do farmwork for a summer. And it helped my cover. I've been trying to pass off as the child of a Mexican mother and an American father, either unregistered or an illegal immigrant. Like I said, my Spanish has gotten much better."

"_¿Está usted__seguro de eso?"_ Superboy asked. (**Are you sure about that?**)

"_Por supuesto.__¿Hablas__español__?_" (**Absolutely. You speak Spanish?**)

"Project Cadmus. They programmed me with basic understanding of several languages."

"Well, your accent is terrible," she said with amusement.

"So you can speak Spanish fluently?" Artemis asked.

"Fluent in Spanish, English, and Romani—forwards and backwards, the result of a weird experience in an alternate universe—can struggle through with a bit of French and Italian, and can ask for the bathroom and order food in German. I've been trying to practice my French, but it's kind of difficult without anyone to speak it to. How long is this ride going to last?"

"ETA is two hours," M'gann said. "The bio-ship was in the area when Batman contacted us."

"I figured," Eve said, wryly. "Superman probably tipped him off. I kind of called him a crazy alien and jumped into the river."

"We know," they chorused.

Eve settled back in her chair, enjoying the way it conformed to her movements. "I'm going to get some sleep. Sorry for all the hassle this is causing you." With that, she let her breathing slow and her mind quiet until it appeared that she was asleep.

She had a feeling that any discussion about her would occur over a psychic link, so she didn't know how successful eavesdropping would be. Eve was delighted to find that M'gann was psychically linked to the bio-ship, meaning since she was in contact with the bio-ship, she was technically in contact with them and could eavesdrop. She settled in to listen.

:_I do not know if we can trust her.:_ Aqualad.

_:Hey, didn't she save all our lives when she got rid of those ice giants?:_ Wally asked.

_:Yeah, but she's been lying ever since. I mean, at least she could have let _us_ know she was still here. What did she think we were gonna do, rat her out to the League?:_ That was Rocket, who Eve hadn't exactly met last time.

_:She values her privacy. I can't blame her. The League wasn't exactly friendly the last time she was here.: _Artemis pointed out.

_:Besides, given how fast Bats tracked her down, sure seems like she had a valid reason for keeping her distance._: Robin added.

_:Hey, weren't you the one who was majorly annoyed at her not telling us she was around?:_ Wally asked, suspiciously.

_:I was! But I've been thinking about it, and I guess that I can understand where she's coming from. Like Artemis said, Eve's a private person. She's mostly a solo act from what I understand.:_

_:Out of necessity, it sounds like. I think that if she had a choice, she would be with a group. She liked hanging out with us: _M'gann pointed out. _:And the way she talks about her dimension's Aqualad—well, I don't have to read her mind to know that she cares about him:_

Eve suppressed a choke, reminding herself that she was supposed to be asleep. _That's—Garth and I are just friends? Aren't we? I—I had a _girl_friend. I can't like him. Can I? He's got a friend—Tula—I thought he cared about her. It doesn't matter whether or not I care, because he wouldn't be interested anyway. Would he?_

_:Perhaps she can stay with the Team until she can leave. She seems lonely.:_ Aqualad commented.

_Well, that's true, _Eve thought ruefully. _But—stay with the Team? That'll eventually translate to 'Join the Team,' and not only would Batman refuse to allow _that,_ but…_

Eve stopped for a moment to consider. She didn't actually have another reason.

_Huh. Join the Team?_

She quickly shook off that train of thought. _You aren't a hero…"a spy, not a soldier."_

They're a covert ops team, the other half of her brain argued. It split into two levels, like it often did when she debated something.

_I don't like being told what to do._

Suck it up and deal with it. Besides, you're technically nineteen, and it's not like they can assign you a mentor.

_What'll I do?_

Learn something, maybe? You could even take some college courses.

_Point made. Alright, enough of this._

Seeing as how arguing with herself at this point would get her nowhere, she went back to eavesdropping.

_:Well, has she actually done anything wrong?:_ M'gann asked.

_:I don't think so.: _Wally commented. _:The only thing she's done that's even slightly wrong is lie to us about not being here.:_

_:I guess it's up to Batman to decide: _Zatanna said. The link went silent as everyone returned to their own thoughts, and Eve sank into true sleep.

* * *

Eve woke up and opened her eyes only to see more darkness. _Oh, right. Blindfold._

"Are we there yet?" she asked.

"Yes, you are," said a cold voice.

Eve tensed up and concentrated on her wrists. _Handcuffed in front of me, probably to a table. Still blindfolded, but I'll bet I'm in an interrogation room. And just my luck, I'm in an interrogation room with a pissed off Batman._

"Oh, hello," she said. "Quick question. Did someone probe my mind while I was asleep?"

"Yes, _Sarah._ Got something you want to tell us?"

"Actually, yes. Whatever your telepath picked up is incorrect. I called in a favor from a telepath some time back to have him implant a false set of memories in my head in case someone tried to probe me while unconscious. I'm very, very, paranoid. Especially about telepaths. Look, do you have any truth serum?"

"Yes. It's in you right now. Martian Manhunter is monitoring your mind, as well. So be very, very careful what you say."

"Fine. My full name is Yvonne Katrina Ambula. I was born in another universe. I'm a mutant with empathic abilities. I had an adopted older brother named Calder. My parents were Renée and Woodrow Ambula. My body died of cancer when I was fifteen, which acted as a catalyst for me to walk between worlds. I befriended a version of Robin in the first dimension I landed in and we spent six months traveling together. Ra's al Ghul captured us and threatened to kill us both if one of us didn't kill the other. I sacrificed myself and he survived. I spent the next two and a half years with my spirit being pulled between dimensions. It was during this time that I met Zatanna in a café in Happy Harbor. Eventually, I wound up back in the first dimension I traveled to, where that Robin and his friends helped me pull myself together so I could make a new body out of Void stuff. After I regained a body, I met Herald, who was also an interdimensional traveler, and we decided to form an organization to try and prevent worlds from crossing over or at least make sure that they only happen between the 'good guys.' I spent a year walking between dimensions before I wound up in this one, Earth-16. I helped to stop an invasion of Frost Giants, but to do that I had to throw the worlds out of alignment and trap myself here. I've been living as a migrant worker for three months. Yesterday, I worked for Mr. Kent in Smallville in exchange for a meal and a place to sleep. This morning, I detected Superman within a ten-mile radius and ran off because I had no wish to be detected by the Justice League. It apparently didn't work since I am once more a guest in your _lovely_ interrogation rooms. Every word I have just spoken is the absolute truth. Believe me or don't, I really don't care at this point, but the fact of the matter is that I am stuck here for at least another six months."

There was silence from outside the blindfold. Eve splayed her hands out. "Anyway, can you take the blindfold off?"

A pair of hands untied it from behind. Eve blinked in the bright light, then closed her eyes to let them adjust.

When she opened them again, she had a clear view of Batman sitting in front of her. He was giving her a ferocious glare. Since she couldn't sense him, or anyone behind her, she had a pretty good guess who had untied her blindfold.

A turn of her head confirmed her idea. "Martian Manhunter. Nice to meet you again."

"Your memories—they say your name is Sarah. Sarah Walker."

"Again, those memories are false. A powerful mutant telepath implanted them when I asked him to. If you take a closer look, you can see that they all look like they were read out of a book. Here—" Eve used the psychic channel that was open to them to show him the process, where she had sat in a room for twelve hours straight as Charles Xavier helped her create false memories and implant them in her psyche. Then she showed him a succession of real memories of her family, ones that were vivid and real and just fuzzy enough in all the right places. When she had finished, J'onn nodded to Batman.

"She is telling the truth. The memories are false, merely a precaution. And a very good one, I must say."

Eve shrugged. "A bad experience is the best teacher."

"I'm not going to argue with that," Batman said. "The Team has told me everything you told them. Didn't want "the Justice League breathing down your neck?""

"I've always been one to speak my mind," she said, dryly. "So now what? I'm stuck here for another six months, I doubt that you want me running loose, and imprisoning me seems like a waste of resources."

"I have an offer to make you."

* * *

Robin sat in the living room, staring at the TV but not really comprehending what was on.

"What is going on in there?" Wally demanded. He was pacing so quickly that he was starting to wear a hole in the floor.

"Sit down!" Artemis snapped. "You'll know as soon as the rest of us do."

"What _is_ going on in there?" Rocket asked. "I mean, we gave him our report. What does he want to do with her?"

"I believe he is considering asking her to join the Team." Aqualad said.

"Her? On the Team?" Conner asked.

"Even without crossing worlds, she's still pretty powerful," M'gann pointed out. "She was able to fix the nightmare she gave me in two minutes. Not to mention give it to me in the first place."

"That's what I have a problem with," Conner said, scowling.

"I think it would be pretty asterous to have her on the Team," Robin said.

"I guess," Zatanna said. She remembered how she had walked in on Eve and Robin before the other girl had left the first time. She was fairly certain that Robin had taken off his sunglasses, which he never did. Add that to the weird psychic bond Eve claimed to have with the Boy Wonder, and you had one rather insecure girlfriend.

* * *

"You want me on the Team?"

Eve was definitely surprised. True, she had considered this, but she never seriously. "Me. A member of your special covert-ops Team."

"You stayed undercover for over three months without detection by either side. I think you could handle yourself in covert operations."

"I had a head start, but point taken. Why?"

"You need a place to stay. I want to keep an eye on you."

There was silence from her end of the table.

"Well?"

"I would be honored to join the Team for however long I remain on this world." Surprisingly, that was the truth. She respected and admired the Team, and would be happy to work with them.

"Good. There's just one more thing."

Eve felt a sharp prick in her neck, but stayed still. As soon as the needle withdrew, she rubbed the spot. "A tracker, I presume?"

"Just so we're clear," Batman said. "I understand that you are legally an adult, but here, you don't exist, so you're in the custody of the League. You will follow any and all orders issued to you on missions. You will attend any and all League-sanctioned training. You will follow all Justice League rules. You will respect all League and senior Team members. You will not run off without informing someone. And if I learn that you have hurt any member of the Team in any way…" he stood up, looming over her with the Bat-glare on full force. "You will disappear in a dark alley one night. Do I make myself clear?"

She met his gaze square on with a hint of a smirk. "As crystal, sir."

"Good." He reached over and unlocked her cuffs. "Your backpack is in room ten. Come with me."

Eve stood up and followed him out of the room. He walked briskly down the hallway until he reached the mission room and walked over to the Zeta tubes. He gestured for her to stand in front of them as the device scanned her.

"_Access granted: Nightwalker; B-one-zero. Authorization: Batman; zero-two."_

The Team suddenly ran into the mission room. "Batman? What's going on?' Robin asked. He was still in his uniform.

"Meet your new teammate," he said.

"At least temporarily," Nightwalker added.

The members of the Team exchanged glances.

"I'll leave you to get reacquainted," Batman said. He turned and walked into the Zeta tubes. "_Recognized: Batman; zero-two."_

Wally turned to Rocket. "Pay up!"

The rest of the Team surrounded Nightwalker, who was as tall as Aqualad now. "All right!"

"Way to go!"

"I look forward to having you on the Team."

Nightwalker managed to break off, and promised to meet them in the kitchen as soon as she grabbed her stuff. Most of the Team headed off, chattering. Eve grabbed Zatanna's arm before she could follow.

"Can I talk to you?"

"What about?" Zatanna asked, feigning ignorance.

Eve looked her directly in the eye. "The thing you've been stressing out over for months. Let me guess: is it about Robin?"

Zatanna looked away and Eve sighed. "Zee, please believe me. I have never had anything like what you have with any Robin, and I never will. He's like a little brother to me, and I care about him, but not like that. He really loves you, and I can tell that you love him."

Zatanna looked up at her. "Do you mean that? Really?"

"Zatanna, you'll learn that I don't say things I don't mean. It makes life easier. Come on. I've had a total of five decent, home-cooked meals in the last month. I am not missing this one."

* * *

The Team sat down around the table to eat dinner, made by M'gann. Not in the least thrown off by their new guest, they talked and laughed and joked, occasionally including her, but always in a friendly way.

Eve studied the room. It was just as it had been three months ago, when she had first found herself among them. The environment was relaxed, comfortable, and welcoming for the most part. There were a few hints of resentment and suspicion, but those would fade with time.

_Yes. I think this is going to work out quite nicely._

* * *

**Wow! This is the longest chapter I've ever done. This is indeed the finale.  
**

**Here we are at the end of the story. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed. In a list of no particular order: **

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**And various Guests. Thank you all! This has easily become my most popular story. A sequel, entitled "A Year's Worth of Strange Things" should be up soon. As I've said before, it's a series of one-, two-, and three-shots covering Nightwalker's time with the Team. I hope you've enjoyed this story. Thank you all again! Now go eat some virtual Oreos. You deserve them for letting me troll you!**

**I know it's the last chapter, but I'd love to see some last reviews. And if there are any ideas for a sequel, tell me!**

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